muscle
- Top 3000
Sense 1
- noun
- B1
One of the many soft parts inside the body that pull on the bones so you can move, and that become hard when you tighten them.
He pulled a muscle in his thigh during the second half.
A tiny muscle under his eye kept twitching all afternoon.
On cold mornings the muscles in my hands feel stiff.
The physiotherapist pressed gently on the muscle beside my spine.
Common collocations: pull a muscle · build muscle · muscle pain · strong muscles · relax a muscle · muscle tissue
Part of: Parts of the body, Exercise and fitness
Sense 2 · less common
- noun
- B2
Great strength of the body, or the power that lets a person or group get what they want.
Getting that piano up the stairs will take real muscle.
The firm used its financial muscle to buy three rivals.
This job needs brains as much as muscle.
Common collocations: financial muscle · military muscle · flex your muscles · put some muscle into it
Part of: Exercise and fitness, Attitudes and opinions
Forms
- plural
- muscles