Sekirov Dictionary

muscle

/ˈmʌs.əl/

noun 5
verb 2
forms 3
phrases 5

noun5

•
the flesh that pulls on the bones when it gets shorter, so that people and animals can move
- Muscle consists largely of actin and myosin filaments.
•
An organ composed of muscle tissue.
- 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. — 1912
•
(figurative) Strength, force.
- The widely-backed campaign to recall Evan Mecham as governor of Arizona gained even more muscle when the state House of Representatives voted to impeach the ultraconservative on February 5. — 1988
•
[usually plural] A well-developed physique, in which the muscles are enlarged from exercise.
- 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
•
(figurative) Hired strongmen or bodyguards.
- 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

verb2

•
To use force to make progress, especially physical force.
- He muscled his way through the crowd.
•
To move forcefully or with great strength.
- She muscled through the ruins.

forms

muscled · muscling · muscles

Phrases with muscle

This dictionary works without the internet: on your phone · in Chrome