n :  a broad thin muscle that arises esp. from the thyroid cartilage, inserts into the arytenoid cartilage, and that functions to relax and shorten the vocal cords by drawing the arytenoid cartilage forward and to narrow the rima glottidis by rotating the arytenoid cartilage inward causing the vocal cords to approach each other - called also thyroarytenoid muscle , hyroarytenoideus  - see INFERIOR THYROARYTENOID LIGAMENT  .
 
   
 
Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.  © 1997-2004.