muscle

English Online Dictionary. What means muscle‎? What does muscle mean?

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/, /ˈmʌ.sl̩/
• Rhymes: -ʌsəl
• Homophone: mussel

Noun

muscle (countable and uncountable, plural muscles)

1. (uncountable) A contractile form of tissue which animals use to effect movement.

   Synonym: thew
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.
5. (uncountable, figurative) Hired strongmen or bodyguards.

Alternative forms

• muscule (obsolete)

Hypernyms

• (tissue or organ): musculature

Hyponyms

• Types of muscles: See Category:en:Muscles

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• myology
• myotomy

Verb

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

1. (transitive) To use force to make progress, especially physical force.
2. (intransitive) To move forcefully or with great strength.

Derived terms

• muscle in
• muscle in on
• muscle up
• outmuscle

Translations

Related terms

• mouse

References

• “muscle”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Anagrams

• clumse

Catalan

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈmus.klə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈmus.kle]

Noun

muscle m (plural muscles)

1. 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, 2024
• “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

Inherited 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/

Noun

muscle m (plural muscles)

1. muscle (contractile tissue, strength)

Derived terms

• muscle lisse
• muscle squelettique

Verb

muscle

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

1. mussel (bivalve)
2. (rare) A sort of siege engine.

Descendants

• English: mussel
• Scots: mushle
• → Welsh: misgl

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)

1. (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)

1. (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)

1. (anatomy) muscle

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin mūsculus.

Pronunciation

Noun

muscle m (plural muscles)

1. muscle
2. mussel

Further reading

• Joan de Cantalausa (2006) Diccionari general occitan a partir dels parlars lengadocians‎^[1], 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

1. mussel
   • late 9th century, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History

Declension

Weak:

Descendants

• Middle English: muscle, moskle, muschyl, muscul, muskall, muskel, muskele, muskell, muskle, muskyl, muskyll, musshell, mustul
  • English: mussel
  • Scots: mushle
  • → Welsh: misgl

References

• Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “muscelle”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary‎^[2], 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.