Wiktionary

muscle

See also: musclé

EnglishEdit

 
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EtymologyEdit

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.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

muscle (countable and uncountable, plural muscles)

  1. (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, 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.
  2. (countable) An organ composed of muscle tissue.
  3. (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.
  4. (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?
  5. (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.

Alternative formsEdit

HyponymsEdit

Derived termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

See alsoEdit

VerbEdit

muscle (third-person singular simple present muscles, present participle muscling, simple past and past participle muscled)

  1. 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 termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

Related termsEdit

ReferencesEdit

AnagramsEdit

CatalanEdit

FWOTD – 26 July 2019

EtymologyEdit

From Latin musculus, doublet of múscul (“muscle”) and musclo (“mussel”).

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

muscle m (plural muscles)

  1. 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 readingEdit

FrenchEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Middle French muscle, a borrowing from Latin mūsculus (“a muscle”, literally “little mouse”). See also the inherited doublet moule (“mussel, clam”).

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

muscle m (plural muscles)

  1. muscle (contractile tissue, strength)

Derived termsEdit

VerbEdit

muscle

  1. inflection of muscler:
    1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
    2. second-person singular imperative

Further readingEdit

Middle EnglishEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Old English muscelle, from Late Latin mūscula (“mussel”). Reinforced by Old French mosle.

Alternative formsEdit

PronunciationEdit

  • IPA(key): /ˈmus(k)əl/, /ˈmus(k)lə/

NounEdit

muscle (plural muscles)

  1. mussel (bivalve)
  2. (rare) A sort of siege engine.
DescendantsEdit
  • English: mussel
  • Scots: mushle
ReferencesEdit

Etymology 2Edit

From Middle French muscle, from Latin mūsculus (“muscle”).

Alternative formsEdit

PronunciationEdit

  • IPA(key): /ˈmusəl/, /ˈmuslə/, /ˈmuskiu̯l(ə)/

NounEdit

muscle (plural muscles)

  1. (anatomy) muscle
DescendantsEdit
ReferencesEdit

Middle FrenchEdit

EtymologyEdit

Borrowed from Latin musculus.

NounEdit

muscle m (plural muscles)

  1. (anatomy) muscle

DescendantsEdit

NormanEdit

EtymologyEdit

Borrowed from Latin mūsculus (“a muscle”, literally “little mouse”), from Ancient Greek μῦς (mûs, “mouse, muscle, mussel”).

NounEdit

muscle m (plural muscles)

  1. (anatomy) muscle

OccitanEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin mūsculus.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

muscle m (plural muscles)

  1. muscle
  2. mussel

Further readingEdit

  • Joan de Cantalausa (2006) Diccionari general occitan a partir dels parlars lengadocians‎[1], 2 edition, →ISBN, page 667.

Old EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

Borrowed from Late Latin mūscula, from Latin mūsculus.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

muscle f

  1. mussel

DeclensionEdit

Declension of muscle (weak)
Case Singular Plural
nominative muscle musclan
accusative musclan musclan
genitive musclan musclena
dative musclan musclum

DescendantsEdit

ReferencesEdit

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