/li vay"teuhr, -tawr/ , n. , pl. levatores /lev'euh tawr"eez, -tohr"-/ .
1. Anat. a muscle that raises a part of the body. Cf. depressor .
2. Surg. an instrument used to raise a depressed part of the skull.
[ 1605-15; levator one who raises (levies) recruits or taxes (L: mitigator), equiv. to L leva ( re ) to raise + -tor -TOR ]