muscle

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: mus=cle

CIDE DICTIONARY

muscle, n. [F., fr. L. musculus a muscle, a little mouse, dim. of mus a mouse. See Mouse, and cf. sense 3 (below).].

•  An organ which, by its contraction, produces motion.  [1913 Webster]

  " Muscles are of two kinds, striated and nonstriated. The striated muscles, which, in most of the higher animals, constitute the principal part of the flesh, exclusive of the fat, are mostly under the control of the will, or voluntary, and are made up of great numbers of elongated fibres bound together into bundles and inclosed in a sheath of connective tissue, the perimysium. Each fiber is inclosed in a delicate membrane (the sarcolemma), is made up of alternate segments of lighter and darker material which give it a transversely striated appearance, and contains, scattered through its substance, protoplasmic nuclei, the so-called muscle corpuscles."  [1913 Webster]
•  Muscular strength or development; as, to show one's muscle by lifting a heavy weight.  [1913 Webster]
•  See Mussel.  [1913 Webster]
•  An essential part of something; as, budget cuts have gone beyond the fat and are cutting into the muscle of the government.  [PJC]
•  Bodyguards or other persons hired to provide protection or commit violence; as, he doesn't go out without his muscle along.  [PJC]

Muscle curve (Physiol.), contraction curve of a muscle; a myogram; the curve inscribed, upon a prepared surface, by means of a myograph when acted upon by a contracting muscle. The character of the curve represents the extent of the contraction.

muscle, v. t. 

•  To compel by threat of force; as, they muscled the shopkeeper into paying protection money.  [PJC]
•  To moved by human force; as, to muscle the piano onto the truck.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

muscle, n. & v.
--n.
1 a fibrous tissue with the ability to contract, producing movement in or maintaining the position of an animal body.
2 the part of an animal body that is composed of muscles.
3 physical power or strength.
--v.intr. (usu. foll. by in) colloq. force oneself on others; intrude by forceful means.

Idiom

muscle-bound with muscles stiff and inelastic through excessive exercise or training. muscle-man a man with highly developed muscles, esp. one employed as an intimidator. not move a muscle be completely motionless.

Derivative

muscled adj. (usu. in comb.). muscleless adj. muscly adj.

Etymology

F f. L musculus dimin. of mus mouse, from the fancied mouselike form of some muscles

THESAURUS

muscle

adductor, arm, beef, beefiness, biceps, brawn, brawniness, buccinator, effort, elasticity, elbow grease, endeavor, energy, exert strength, exertion, force, gemellus, gluteus maximus, hard pull, heftiness, huskiness, infraspinatus, intercostal, involuntary muscle, latissimus dorsi, levator, long pull, masseter, mentalis, might, might and main, muscularity, musculature, mylohyoid, nasalis, nerve and sinew, oblique, occipitalis, omohyoid, pains, pectineus, pectoralis, peroneus, physique, potency, power, sinew, sinewiness, sinews, sphincter, strength, strong arm, strong-arm, tensor, thew, thewiness, thews, tone, trapezius, triceps, trouble, use force, voluntary muscle

ROGET THESAURUS

muscle

Strength

N strength, power, energy, vigor, force, main force, physical force, brute force, spring, elasticity, tone, tension, tonicity, stoutness, lustihood, stamina, nerve, muscle, sinew, thews and sinews, physique, pith, pithiness, virtility, vitality, athletics, athleticism, gymnastics, feats of strength, adamant, steel, iron, oak, heart of oak, iron grip, grit, bone, athlete, gymnast, acrobat, superman, Atlas, Hercules, Antaeus, Samson, Cyclops, Goliath, tower of strength, giant refreshed, strengthening, invigoration, refreshment, refocillation, dynamics, statics, strong, mighty, vigorous, forcible, hard, adamantine, stout, robust, sturdy, hardy, powerful, potent, puissant, valid, resistless, irresistible, invincible, proof against, impregnable, unconquerable, indomitable, dominating, inextinguishable, unquenchable, incontestable, more than a match for, overpowering, overwhelming, all powerful, all sufficient, sovereign, able-bodied, athletic, Herculean, Cyclopean, Atlantean, muscular, brawny, wiry, well-knit, broad-shouldered, sinewy, strapping, stalwart, gigantic, manly, man-like, manful, masculine, male, virile, unweakened, unallayed, unwithered, unshaken, unworn, unexhausted, in full force, in full swing, in the plenitude of power, stubborn, thick-ribbed, made of iron, deep-rooted, strong as a lion, strong as a horse, strong as an ox, strong as brandy, sound as a roach, in fine feather, in high feather, built like a brick shithouse, like a giant refreshed, strongly, by force, by main force, our withers are unwrung, Blut und Eisen, coelitus mihi vires, du fort au diable, en habiles gens, ex vi termini, flecti non frangi, he that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves an, inflexible in faith invincible in arms.