muscle
See also: musclé
English
Etymology
From Middle English muscle, muscule, muskylle, and in part from Middle French muscle, from Latin mūsculus (“a muscle”, literally “little mouse”) because of the mouselike appearance of some muscles, from mūs (“mouse”). Doublet of mussel. More at mouse.
Pronunciation
- enPR: mŭʹsəl, IPA(key): /ˈmʌ.səl/, IPA(key): /ˈmʌ.sl̩/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ʌsəl
- Homophone: mussel
Noun
muscle (countable and uncountable, plural muscles)
- (uncountable) A contractile form of tissue which animals use to effect movement.
- Muscle consists largely of actin and myosin filaments.
- Synonym: thew
- 1701, Nehemiah Grew, “Of the Use of Organized Bodies”, in Cosmologia Sacra: Or A Discourse of the Universe as It is the Creature and Kingdom of God. […], London: […] W. Rogers, S. Smith, and B[enjamin] Walford: […], OCLC 642328229, 1st book, paragraph 18, page 27:
- For as the Trunk of the Body, is kept from tilting forvvard by the Muſcules of the Back: So, from falling backvvard, by theſe of the Belly.
- (countable) An organ composed of muscle tissue.
- 1912 January, Zane Grey, chapter VIII, in Riders of the Purple Sage […], New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, OCLC 6868219:
- His brow and hair and the palms of his hands were wet, and there was a kind of nervous contraction of his muscles. They seemed to ripple and string tense.
- 1945 August 17, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter I, in Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, OCLC 3655473:
- You, Boxer, the very day that those great muscles of yours lose their power, Jones will sell you to the knacker […]
-
- (uncountable, usually in the plural) A well-developed physique, in which the muscles are enlarged from exercise.
- 2008, Lou Schuler, "Foreward", in Nate Green, Built for Show, page xii
- The fact that I was middle-aged, bald, married, and raising girls instead of chasing them didn't really bother me. Muscles are cool at any age.
- 2008, Lou Schuler, "Foreward", in Nate Green, Built for Show, page xii
- (uncountable, figurative) Strength, force.
- 2010, Adam Quinn, US Foreign Policy in Context, page 81
- The lesson to be drawn from the events of 1914, to Roosevelt's mind, was that civilization needed muscle to defend it, not just solemn words.
- 2013, John D. MacDonald, The Long Lavender Look, page 15
- It was going to take muscle to pluck Miss Agnes out of the canal.
- 2022 January 12, Christian Wolmar, “A new year... but the same old mistakes are being made”, in RAIL, number 948, pages 40-41:
- How can the unions - or more specifically the RMT—possibly think this is a good time to exert a bit of industrial muscle and indulge in strikes both on the national railway and the London Underground?
- 2010, Adam Quinn, US Foreign Policy in Context, page 81
- (uncountable, figurative) Hired strongmen or bodyguards.
- 1985 — Lance Parkin, The Infinity Doctors, p 34
- It was easy enough to dodge him, let him crash into the floorboards. Peltroc knew that his priority was the leader, not the hired muscle.
- 1985 — Lance Parkin, The Infinity Doctors, p 34
Alternative forms
- muscule (obsolete)
Derived terms
- beer muscles
- cardiac muscle
- gym muscles
- involuntary muscle
- make a muscle
- Muscle Beach
- musclebound
- muscle boy
- muscle car
- muscled
- muscledom
- muscled up
- muscle dysmorphia
- muscleful
- muscle in on
- muscleless
- muscleman
- muscle relaxant
- muscle shirt
- musclesome
- muscle tone
- muscle-up
- muscle up
- muscly
- muscular
- muscularity
- musculature
- pterygoid muscle
- skeletal muscle
- smooth muscle
- voluntary muscle
Translations
contractile tissue
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organ composed of muscle tissue
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well-developed physique
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strength, force
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See also
- myology
- myotomy
Verb
muscle (third-person singular simple present muscles, present participle muscling, simple past and past participle muscled)
- To use force to make progress, especially physical force.
- He muscled his way through the crowd.
- 1988, Steve Holman, "Christian Conquers Columbus", Ironman 47 (6): 28-34.
- Hensel and Wilson hit a series of leg shots simultaneously as Christian muscles between them with Quinn right on his heels.
Derived terms
- outmuscle
Translations
use force to make progress
|
Related terms
- mouse
References
- “muscle”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
Anagrams
- clumse
Catalan
FWOTD – 26 July 2019
Etymology
From Latin musculus, doublet of múscul (“muscle”) and musclo (“mussel”).
Pronunciation
- (Balearic, Central) IPA(key): /ˈmus.klə/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /ˈmus.kle/
Noun
muscle m (plural muscles)
- shoulder
- 2000, Francesc Serés, Els ventres de la terra, Columna, page 41:
- Quan ens cansem ella recolza el cap al meu muscle.
- When we get tired, she rests her head on my shoulder.
- Synonym: espatlla
-
Further reading
- “muscle” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “muscle”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
- “muscle” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “muscle” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
French
Etymology
From Middle French muscle, a borrowing from Latin mūsculus (“a muscle”, literally “little mouse”). See also the inherited doublet moule (“mussel, clam”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /myskl/
audio (file)
Noun
muscle m (plural muscles)
- muscle (contractile tissue, strength)
Derived terms
- muscle lisse
- muscle squelettique
Verb
muscle
- inflection of muscler:
- first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
- second-person singular imperative
Further reading
- “muscle”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Middle English
Etymology 1
From Old English muscelle, from Late Latin mūscula (“mussel”). Reinforced by Old French mosle.
Alternative forms
- moskle, muschyl, muscul, muskall, muskel, muskele, muskell, muskle, muskyl, muskyll, musshell, mustul
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈmus(k)əl/, /ˈmus(k)lə/
Noun
muscle (plural muscles)
- mussel (bivalve)
- (rare) A sort of siege engine.
Descendants
- English: mussel
- Scots: mushle
References
- “muscle, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
Etymology 2
From Middle French muscle, from Latin mūsculus (“muscle”).
Alternative forms
- mucell, muscule, musculle, muskylle
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈmusəl/, /ˈmuslə/, /ˈmuskiu̯l(ə)/
Noun
muscle (plural muscles)
- (anatomy) muscle
Descendants
- English: muscle
References
- “muscle, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
Middle French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin musculus.
Noun
muscle m (plural muscles)
- (anatomy) muscle
Descendants
- French: muscle
- → Middle English: muscle
- English: muscle
Norman
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin mūsculus (“a muscle”, literally “little mouse”), from Ancient Greek μῦς (mûs, “mouse, muscle, mussel”).
Noun
muscle m (plural muscles)
- (anatomy) muscle
Occitan
Etymology
From Latin mūsculus.
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Noun
muscle m (plural muscles)
- muscle
- mussel
Further reading
- Joan de Cantalausa (2006) Diccionari general occitan a partir dels parlars lengadocians, 2 edition, →ISBN, page 667.
Old English
Alternative forms
- muscelle, muxle, musle
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin mūscula, from Latin mūsculus.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈmus.kle/
Noun
muscle f
- mussel
Declension
Declension of muscle (weak)
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | muscle | musclan |
| accusative | musclan | musclan |
| genitive | musclan | musclena |
| dative | musclan | musclum |
Descendants
- Middle English: muscle, moskle, muschyl, muscul, muskall, muskel, muskele, muskell, muskle, muskyl, muskyll, musshell, mustul
- English: mussel
- Scots: mushle
References
- Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898), “muscelle”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.