muscle definition - Dictionary

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muscle

mus·cle [ múss'l ]

noun (plural mus·cles)

Definition:

1. body tissue producing movement: a tissue that can undergo repeated contraction and relaxation, so that it is able to produce movement of body parts, maintain tension, or pump fluids within the body. There are three types: voluntary striped muscle, involuntary smooth muscle, and branched or heart muscle.

2. organ composed of muscle: an organ composed of bundles or sheets of muscle tissue, bound together with connective tissue and with tendons by which the contracting part is attached to the bones that it moves

3. influence: power and influence, especially in the political, financial, or military spheres

4. strength: physical strength ( informal )

put some muscle into it

5. hired thugs: men who are employed to intimidate, harm, or menace people ( slang )

transitive and intransitive verb (past and past participle mus·cled, present participle mus·cling, 3rd person present singular mus·cles)

Definition:

move using strength: to move using strength and force or effort, or make somebody or something move in this way ( informal )

muscled us aside to get to the head of the line

[14th century. Via French< Latin musculus literally "small mouse" < mus "mouse"; from the supposed resemblance of some muscles to mice]

mus·cly adjective

Spelling Note


	Do not confuse the spelling of muscle and mussel ("a shellfish"), which sound similar. Muscle is a noun meaning "a type of body organ," "influence," and "strength": tired muscles; political muscle; as a verb it means "to move forcefully": muscled his way past. Mussel meaning "a type of shellfish" is used only as a noun.