n. pl. gas·troc·ne·mi·i (-mē-ī′) The largest, most prominent muscle of the calf of the leg, the action of which extends the foot and bends the knee. [New Latin gastrocnēmius, from Greek gastroknēmiā, calf of the leg : gastro-, belly (from its bellylike shape); see GASTRO- + knēmē, leg.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.