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sta·pe·di·us stə-'pē-dē-əs n, pl -dii -dē-.ī a small muscle of the middle ear that arises from the wall of the tympanum, is inserted into the neck of the stapes by a tendon that sometimes contains a slender spine of bone, and serves to check and dampen vibration of the stapes called also stapedius muscle
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sta·pe·di·us (stə-peґde-əs) musculus stapedius.Medical dictionary. 2011.