Antonyms for muscle in


Grammar : Verb
Spell : muhs-uhl
Phonetic Transcription : ˈmʌs əl


Definition of muscle in

Origin :
  • late 14c., from Middle French muscle "muscle, sinew" (14c.) and directly from Latin musculus "a muscle," literally "little mouse," diminutive of mus "mouse" (see mouse (n.)).
  • So called because the shape and movement of some muscles (notably biceps) were thought to resemble mice. The analogy was made in Greek, too, where mys is both "mouse" and "muscle," and its comb. form gives the medical prefix myo-. Cf. also Old Church Slavonic mysi "mouse," mysica "arm;" German Maus "mouse; muscle," Arabic 'adalah "muscle," 'adal "field mouse." In Middle English, lacerte, from the Latin word for "lizard," also was used as a word for a muscle.
  • Musclez & lacertez bene one selfe þing, Bot þe muscle is said to þe fourme of mouse & lacert to þe fourme of a lizard. [Guy de Chauliac, "Grande Chirurgie," c.1425]
  • Hence muscular and mousy are relatives, and a Middle English word for "muscular" was lacertous, "lizardy." Figurative sense of "force, violence, threat of violence" is 1930, American English. Muscle car "hot rod" is from 1969.
  • As in insinuate : verb force one's way into
  • As in intervene : verb mediate
  • As in invade : verb attack and encroach
  • As in barge in/barge into : verb charge
  • As in trespass : verb infringe, offend
  • As in usurp : verb take over
  • As in barge in : verb charge
  • As in butt in : verb meddle
  • As in horn in : verb get involved
  • As in encroach : verb invade another's property, business

Synonyms for muscle in

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019