muscle
6 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
muscles
plural
muscles
Britannica Dictionary definition of MUSCLE
1
:
a body tissue that can contract and produce movement
— often used before another noun
[count]
-
the muscles of the arm
-
stomach muscles
-
flex a muscle
-
relax a muscle
-
an athlete with bulging/rippling muscles
-
He pulled/tore/strained a muscle playing tennis.
-
She has a strained muscle in her back.
-
Wait here and don't move a muscle. [=don't move at all]
[noncount]
-
She started lifting weights to build muscle.
-
muscle fiber(s)/tissue
-
muscle spasms
-
an athlete practicing to develop muscle memory [=the ability to repeat a bodily movement exactly]
-
a muscle relaxant [=a drug that relaxes muscles]
2
[noncount]
a
:
physical strength
-
She doesn't have the muscle to lift something so heavy.
-
To clean that floor you have to put some muscle into it. [=you have to make a forceful effort]
b
:
power and influence
-
He lacks the political muscle [=clout] to get the policy changed.
flex your muscles
2
muscle
/ˈmʌsəl/
verb
muscles;
muscled;
muscling
2
muscle
/ˈmʌsəl/
verb
muscles;
muscled;
muscling
Britannica Dictionary definition of MUSCLE
1
[+ object]
:
to move (something) by using physical strength and force
— often used figuratively
-
They muscled the heavy boxes onto the truck.
-
They muscled the furniture up the stairs.
-
She was muscled [=forced] out of office by political opponents.
-
He helped muscle the bill through Congress.
2
:
to move forward by using physical force
[no object]
-
He muscled through the crowd.
-
They muscled into line behind us.
[+ object]
-
He muscled his way through the crowd. [=he moved ahead by pushing and forcing people to move out of the way]
muscle in
[phrasal verb]
:
to use force or influence in a way that is wrong or unwanted in order to become involved in something for selfish reasons
— usually + on
-
His competitors have tried to muscle in on his business.
