biceps

Everyday

1. The biceps is the big muscle at the front of your upper arm that bends your elbow. tree →
2. Biceps can also name a similar muscle at the back of the thigh. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons pupils learn that muscles work in pairs: the biceps contracts to bend the arm, and the triceps at the back contracts to straighten it. In PE people «show their biceps» by bending the arm. Phrases: flex your biceps, biceps and triceps.

Examples

• Bend your arm and feel your biceps get hard. tree →
• The biceps pulls the forearm up. tree →
• Muscles work in pairs, like the biceps and triceps. tree →
• He showed off his big biceps. tree →
• Lifting shopping bags uses your biceps. tree →
• When the biceps relaxes, the triceps straightens the arm. tree →

Note

«Biceps» is singular and plural at the same time: one biceps, two biceps. «Bicep» without «s» is common in speech but «biceps» is the correct form. «Bi» means two: the muscle has two heads at the top. Muscles only pull, never push — that is why they work in pairs.