/pek'teuh ral"is, -ray"lis, -rah"-/ , n. , pl. pectorales /-ral"eez, -ray"leez, -rah"-/ . Anat.
either of two muscles on each side of the upper and anterior part of the thorax, the action of the larger (pectoralis major) assisting in drawing the shoulder forward and rotating the arm inward, and the action of the smaller (pectoralis minor) assisting in drawing the shoulder downward and forward.
[ pectoralis; see PECTORAL ]