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The buccinator muscle (Latin: Musculus buccinator; also called the maxillary rictus, mandibular rictus, or just the rictus) is a thin quadrilateral muscle occupying the interval between the maxilla (upper jaw) and the mandible (lower jaw) at the side of the face.

In most species, humans for example, the buccinator is not visible on the face as it forms the anterior part of the cheek/the lateral wall of the oral cavity, and can only be seen in a mouth shot. It is more apparent in scalie species (reptiles, dinosaurs, dragons, etc.) when they have their mouths opened, where it appears as a membrane at the corner of the mouth.