The meaning of the word muscle

Educalingo cookies are used to personalize ads and get web traffic statistics. We also share information about the use of the site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners.

Download the app
educalingo

I’d kind of like to have a classic old muscle car. I think that would be fun.

Brooke Burke

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD MUSCLE

From medical Latin musculus little mouse, from the imagined resemblance of some muscles to mice, from Latin mūs mouse.

PRONUNCIATION OF MUSCLE

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF MUSCLE

Muscle is a verb and can also act as a noun.

WHAT DOES MUSCLE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Definition of muscle in the English dictionary

The first definition of muscle in the dictionary is a tissue composed of bundles of elongated cells capable of contraction and relaxation to produce movement in an organ or part. Other definition of muscle is an organ composed of muscle tissue. Muscle is also strength or force.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO MUSCLE

PRESENT

PAST

FUTURE

CONDITIONAL

IMPERATIVE

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH MUSCLE

SYNONYMS OF «MUSCLE»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «muscle» and belong to the same grammatical category.

TRANSLATION OF MUSCLE

Find out the translation of muscle to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «MUSCLE»

The term «muscle» is very widely used and occupies the 5.131 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.

Principal search tendencies and common uses of muscle

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «MUSCLE» OVER TIME

10 QUOTES WITH «MUSCLE»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word muscle.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «MUSCLE»

Discover the use of muscle in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to muscle and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «MUSCLE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term muscle is used in the context of the following news items.

REFERENCE

« EDUCALINGO. Muscle [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/muscle>. Apr 2023 ».

The child who is ‘spastic’ has muscle stiffness, or ‘muscle tension’. ❋ Unknown (1999)

It will be well to note that the two shells of an oyster, which are called _valves_, are held together by a single muscle, known as the _adductor muscle_, that lies near the center, and that this muscle must be cut before the shell will open readily. ❋ Unknown (N/A)

Between the ciliary processes and the sclerotic coat is a small muscle, containing both circular and longitudinal fibers, called the _ciliary muscle_. ❋ Francis M. Walters (N/A)

Brad Radke will not be ready to return to the mound when he’s eligible to come off the DL Saturday, as his pulled groin muscle is worse than it was when he first injured it. ❋ Unknown (2002)

The term muscle signifies every organ of the human body which, by contraction, produces the movements of the organism. ❋ Louis Dechmann (N/A)

Sir Charles Bell, who wrote the book about the Hand, used the term muscle sense and I suspect you would have to be interested in the human hand and body for any of this to be meaningful to you. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Kind of gives new meaning to the term muscle-head. ❋ Unknown (2009)

RICHARD BURT, SPECIAL AGENT FOR FLIGHT PROGRAMS: There’s defensive measures, there’s judgmental shooting, and it makes them think and respond and develop what we call a muscle memory. ❋ Unknown (2009)

BROWN: Hey, this is what we call the muscle flex, because it really does demonstrate the muscle that you have behind you, Wolf. ❋ Unknown (2008)

If the stimulus be repeated, the muscle makes a new twitch, apparently resembling the preceding one; and if the muscle is attached to a suitable connecting lever, the several twitches give the same effect as the strokes of a piston in a steam-engine. ❋ Unknown (1923)

The earliest known chemical process in the muscle is the formation of lactic acid. ❋ Unknown (1923)

Here, we identify this repressor-which we call muscle growth regulator (MGR) — by using a DNA protein interaction screen based on quantitative mass spectrometry. ❋ Falk Butter (2010)

In the case of the Jersey Shore boys, GQ took them from looking like douchebags in muscle shirts to looking like douchebags in muscle shirts as imagined by Patagonia. ❋ Charlotte Hilton Andersen (2010)

I observed that most bullet impacts were shoot throughs, or bullets lodged in muscle or bone. ❋ Unknown (2009)

And you repeat that same assurance the next day, and the day after that, and before you know it, it’s been months since you’ve written a word and your writing muscle is completely out of shape. ❋ Odysseyworkshop (2010)

The nutrient is thought to improve balance as well as maintain muscle mass in older people. ❋ Unknown (2010)

I be [bangin’] dat ho so long, her taint broke now I be [slippin’] in da [wet paper bag] muscle ❋ Flamin’ Raymond Green (2008)

[Grant] had a [whiskey] and decided to muscle [his girlfriend]. ❋ AC (2003)

We have the armed muscle to to the [heist]
My bicep muscle is hurt
[muscle cars] suck
my muscle is [pumpin], hehehehe
feel the muscle of the new regime! ❋ Gumba Gumba (2004)

Your sister may have she [juiced] [the locker room], but it was the muscle of the football team that scored that [extra point] ❋ Flamin’ Raymond Green (2008)

We better get some [armed] manpower for [the bank] [heist]. ❋ Gumba Gumba (2004)

Look at that [baller] in [the trucker] hat. He’s [doin’] the muscle! ❋ Pdeudonym (2004)

Man…our boss is such a muscle!
[I am the] [worlds] largest muscle and don’t you [forget it]! ❋ TeamMuscle (2010)

«[Joe’s] got a [hired] [muscle] outside his bar» ❋ Alex (2003)

His [veins] are so [f’ed up] that he’s [muscling] his heroin ❋ IlIlIlIIIlIlllIl (2020)

Person 1: How is your [workout] going?
Person 2: I think [I’m] muscling with these 5lb [weights]. ❋ This.is.anonymous (2018)

1

0   0 Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. There are three types of muscle in the body. Muscle which is responsible for moving extremities and external areas of the body is called "skeletal muscle." Heart muscle is called "cardiac muscle." Muscle that is in the walls of arter [..]

2

0   0 Muscle Any muscle used to pull a body part away from the midline of the body. For example, the abductor muscles of the legs spread the legs away from the midline and away from one another. The word «abductor» comes from the Latin prefix «ab-» meaning «away from» + «ducere» meaning «to draw or lead» = » [..]

3

0   0 Muscle Any muscle that pulls a body part toward the midline of the body. For example, the adductor muscles of the legs pull the legs toward the midline of the body so the legs are closer together. The word «adductor» comes from the Latin prefix «ad» meaning «toward» + «ducere» meaning «to draw or lead» = & [..]

4	0   0 Muscle A type of muscle with unique features only found in the heart. The cardiac muscle is the muscle of the heart and medically is called the myocardium («myo-» being the prefix denoting muscle).

5

0   0 Muscle One of the conditions that produces ‘floppy baby’ syndrome. Central core disease of muscle causes hypotonia (low muscle tone) in a newborn baby, slowly progressive muscle weakness, and muscle cramps after exercise. Muscle biopsy shows a key diagnostic finding of absent mitochondria in the center of many muscle fibers. It is caused by an a [..]

6	0   0 Muscle A circular muscle that relaxes or tightens the zonules to enable the lens to change shape for focusing. The zonules are fibers that hold the lens suspended in position and enable it to change shape during accommodation.

7	0   0 Muscle A type of muscle with unique features only found in the heart. The heart or cardiac muscle is medically called the myocardium («myo-» being the prefix denoting muscle).

8

0   0 Muscle A muscle that assists the lifting of the arm while turning the arm outward (external rotation). The tendon of the infraspinatus muscle is one of four tendons that stabilize the shoulder joint and constitute the rotator cuff. Each of the four tendons that makes up the rotator cuff hooks up to a muscle that moves the shoulder in a specific direction. [..]

9	0   0 Muscle A small muscle within the heart that anchors the heart valves. The anchor ropes are the chordae tendineae, thread-like bands of fibrous tissue that attach on one end to the edges of the tricuspid and mitral valves of the heart and on the other end to the papillary muscles.

10

0   0 Muscle A muscle that begins at the front surface of the sacrum (the V-shaped bone between the buttocks, at the base of the spine) and passes through the greater sciatic notch to attach to the top of the thighbone (femur) at its bony prominence (the greater trochanter). The gluteus maximus muscle covers the piriformis muscle in the buttocks.

11

0   0 Muscle Muscles of the lower back (the loin). There are two psoas muscles on each side of the back. The larger of the two is called the psoas major and the smaller the psoas minor. The psoas major originates at the spine around the bottom of the rib cage and runs down to the thigh bone (the femur). The psoas major acts to flex the hip. The psoas minor also [..]

12	0   0 Muscle A muscle that moves the arm by turning it inward (internal rotation). The tendon of the subscapularis muscle is one of four tendons that stabilize the shoulder joint and constitute the rotator cuff.

13	0   0 Muscle A muscle that is responsible for elevating the arm and moving it away from the body. The tendon of the supraspinatus muscle is one of four tendons that stabilize the shoulder joint and constitute the rotator cuff.

14	0   0 Muscle A muscle that assists in the lifting of the arm during outward turning (external rotation) of the arm. The tendon of the teres minor muscle is one of four tendons that stabilize the shoulder joint and constitute the rotator cuff.

15	0   0 Muscle to-bone (M/B) ratio — Pounds of muscle divided by pounds of bone.  For example, 4:1 ratio means that there is 4 lb of muscle to 1 lb of bone (usually on a carcass basis).

16	0   0 Muscle 1913, «to accomplish by strength,» from muscle (n.). Related: Muscled; muscling. To muscle in is 1929 in underworld slang.

17	0   0 Muscle late 14c., from Middle French muscle «muscle, sinew» (14c.) and directly from Latin musculus «a muscle,» literally «little mouse,» diminutive of mus «mouse» (se [..]

18	0   0 Muscle Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T…

19	0   0 Muscle tissue found in animals that expands and contracts, allowing movement.

20	0   0 Muscle one of the contractile organs of the body make one's way by force; "He muscled his way into the office" animal tissue consisting predominantly of contractile cell [..]

21	0   0 Muscle the fleshy parts of the body that tighten and loosen to make it move

22	0   0 Muscle (mus´el) A major type of tissue adapted to contract. The three kinds of muscle are cardiac, smooth, and skeletal. muscle spindles

23	0   0 Muscle is a tissue found in animals typically which generates the force necessary to move parts of ones body.

24

0   0 Muscle To dream of seeing your muscle well developed, you will have strange encounters with enemies, but you will succeed in surmounting their evil works, and gain fortune. If they are shrunken, your inability to succeed in your affairs is portended. For a woman, this dream is prophetic of toil and hardships.

25	0   0 Muscle Noun. A collective term for sizeable and strong people, gathered to utilize their strengths.

26	0   0 Muscle From the Latin mus (mouse) plus cul (dim.) — the little mouse that runs beneath the skin when you flex.

27	0   0 Muscle Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. There are three types of muscle in the body. Muscle which is responsible for moving extremities and external areas of t [..]

28	0   0 Muscle There are over 600 muscles in the human body. Their function is to move the different parts of your body. Muscle is made up of fibres. There are three types of muscle: smooth, cardiac and skeletal.

29	0   0 Muscle Muscle cells are long skinny tubes called fibers. Fibers are mostly proteins and water surrounded by connective tissue. Bundles of fibers are called sheaths. Bundles of sheaths are called muscle. Read [..]

30	0   0 Muscle (n) one of the contractile organs of the body(n) animal tissue consisting predominantly of contractile cells(n) a bully employed as a thug or bodyguard(n) authority or power or force (especially w [..]

31	0   0 Muscle Muscle is the tissue of the body composed of bundles of cells that contract and relax to create movement. A complex group of muscles which include extensor, flexor, and oblique muscles work together t [..]

32	0   0 Muscle Muscle is one of the four primary tissue types in the body and is specialised for contraction. Types of muscle tissue include skeletal muscle, smooth muscle and cardiac muscle.

33	0   0 Muscle Muscles forming the Abdominal Wall including Rectus Abdominis, external and internal oblique Muscles, transversus abdominis, and quadratus abdominis. (from Stedman, 25th ed)

34	0   0 Muscle Thick triangular Muscle in the SHOULDER whose function is to abduct, flex, and extend the arm. It is a common site of Intramuscular Injections.

35	0   0 Muscle Muscles of Facial Expression or mimetic Muscles that include the numerous Muscles supplied by the Facial Nerve that are attached to and move the Skin of the Face. (From Stedman, 25th ed)

36	0   0 Muscle The Muscle Tissue of the Heart. It is composed of striated, Involuntary Muscle Cells (Myocytes, Cardiac) connected to form the contractile pump to generate Blood flow.

37	0   0 Muscle The Striated Muscle groups which move the Larynx as a whole or its parts, such as altering tension of the Vocal Cords, or size of the slit (Rima Glottidis).

38	0   0 Muscle A Masticatory Muscle whose action is closing the Jaws.

39	0   0 Muscle Muscles arising in the zygomatic arch that close the jaw. Their nerve supply is masseteric from the mandibular division of the Trigeminal Nerve. (From Stedman, 25th ed)

40	0   0 Muscle The neck Muscles consist of the platysma, splenius cervicis, sternocleidomastoid(eus), longus colli, the anterior, medius, and posterior scalenes, digastric(us), stylohyoid(eus), mylohyoid(eus), genio [..]

41	0   0 Muscle The Muscles that move the eye. Included in this group are the medial rectus, lateral rectus, superior rectus, inferior rectus, inferior oblique, superior oblique, musculus orbitalis, and levator palpe [..]

42	0   0 Muscle The Muscles of the Palate are the glossopalatine, palatoglossus, levator palati(ni), musculus uvulae, palatopharyngeus, and tensor palati(ni).

43	0   0 Muscle Conical muscular projections from the walls of the Cardiac Ventricles, attached to the cusps of the atrioventricular valves by the Chordae Tendineae.

44	0   0 Muscle The pectoralis major and pectoralis Minor Muscles that make up the upper and fore part of the Chest in front of the AXILLA.

45	0   0 Muscle The Muscles of the Pharynx are Voluntary Muscles arranged in two layers. The external circular layer consists of three constrictors (superior, middle, and inferior). The internal longitudinal layer co [..]

46	0   0 Muscle A powerful flexor of the thigh at the Hip Joint (psoas major) and a weak flexor of the trunk and lumbar Spinal Column (psoas Minor). Psoas is derived from the Greek «psoa», the plural meanin [..]

47	0   0 Muscle Two of the Masticatory Muscles: the internal, or medial, pterygoid Muscle and external, or lateral, pterygoid Muscle. Action of the former is closing the Jaws and that of the latter is opening the Jaw [..]

48	0   0 Muscle The quadriceps femoris. A collective name of the four-headed Skeletal Muscle of the thigh, comprised of the rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis.

49	0   0 Muscle Unstriated and unstriped Muscle, one of the Muscles of the internal organs, Blood Vessels, Hair Follicles, etc. Contractile Elements are elongated, usually spindle-shaped Cells with centrally located [..]

50	0   0 Muscle One of two types of Muscle in the body, characterized by the array of bands observed under microscope. Striated Muscles can be divided into two subtypes: the Cardiac Muscle and the Skeletal Muscle.

51	0   0 Muscle A Masticatory Muscle whose action is closing the Jaws; its posterior portion retracts the Mandible.

52	0   0 Muscle The Smooth Muscle coat of the Uterus, which Forms the main mass of the organ.

53	0   0 Muscle The nonstriated, Involuntary Muscle Tissue of Blood Vessels.

54	0   0 Muscle These include the Muscles of the Diaphragm and the Intercostal Muscles.

55	0   0 Muscle A subtype of Striated Muscle, attached by Tendons to the SKELETON. Skeletal Muscles are innervated and their Movement can be consciously controlled. They are also called voluntary Muscles.

56	0   0 Muscle Contractile Tissue that produces Movement in Animals.

57	0   0 Muscle Striated muscles having fibers connected at either or both extremities with the bony framework of the body. These are found in appendicular and axial muscles. (From Stedman, 25th ed)

58	0   0 Muscle Unstriated and unstriped muscle, one of the muscles of the internal organs, blood vessels, hair follicles, etc. Contractile elements are elongated, usually spindle-shaped cells with centrally located [..]

59	0   0 Muscle The nonstriated, involuntary muscle tissue of blood vessels.

60	0   0 Muscle A tissue composed of fibers capable of contracting (and thus producing motion).

61	0   0 Muscle A soft tissue of animals. Muscle cells contain protein filaments that slide past one another, producing a contraction that changes both the length and the shape of the cell. Muscles function to produce force and cause motion.

62	0   0 Muscle n.(1) «mussel, the shellfish,» s.v. mussel sb. OED. KEY: muscle@n1

63	0   0 Muscle n1 2 muscle 1 muscles 1

64	0   0 Muscle masses of tough, elastic tissue that pull bones when during movement.

65	0   0 Muscle What is Muscle? A muscle is made of fibrous tissue with the ability to contract, producing movement. It is attached to bones by tendons. What is the…

Dictionary.university is a dictionary written by people like you and me.
Please help and add a word. All sort of words are welcome!

Add meaning

• Defenition of the word muscle

  • An organ formed by contractile tissue that moves other organs.
  • muscular strength
  • make one’s way by force: «He muscled his way into the office»
  • animal tissue consisting predominantly of contractile cells
  • one of the contractile organs of the body
  • authority or power or force (especially when used in a coercive way); «the senators used their muscle to get the party leader to resign»
  • a bully employed as a thug or bodyguard; «the druglord had his muscleman to protect him»
  • make one»s way by force; «He muscled his way into the office»
  • possessing muscular strength
  • authority or power or force (especially when used in a coercive way)
  • a bully employed as a thug or bodyguard
  • make one’s way by force

Synonyms for the word muscle

• • brawn
  • muscular tissue
  • musculus
  • sinew

Meronymys for the word muscle

• • muscle cell
  • muscle fiber
  • muscle fibre
  • muscle system
  • muscular structure
  • musculature

Hyponyms for the word muscle

• • anatomical sphincter
  • antagonistic muscle
  • cardiac muscle
  • eye muscle
  • heart muscle
  • involuntary muscle
  • levator
  • ocular muscle
  • pronator
  • rectus
  • skeletal muscle
  • smooth muscle
  • sphincter
  • sphincter muscle
  • striated muscle
  • striated muscle tissue
  • supinator
  • tensor

Hypernyms for the word muscle

• • animal tissue
  • authorisation
  • authority
  • authorization
  • bully
  • contractile organ
  • contractor
  • dominance
  • go across
  • go through
  • hooligan
  • pass
  • potency
  • roughneck
  • rowdy
  • ruffian
  • say-so
  • strength
  • tough
  • yob
  • yobbo
  • yobo

Idioms for the word muscle

• • cardiac muscle
  • involuntary muscle
  • make a muscle
  • Muscle Beach
  • muscle car
  • muscle dysmorphia
  • muscle in on
  • muscle shirt
  • muscle tone
  • skeletal muscle
  • smooth muscle
  • voluntary muscle

See other words

• • What is mountaintop
  • The definition of mountaineer
  • The interpretation of the word mountain range
  • What is meant by mountain lion
  • The lexical meaning mountain
  • The dictionary meaning of the word mound
  • The grammatical meaning of the word moue
  • Meaning of the word mould
  • Literal and figurative meaning of the word mouflon
  • The origin of the word musical
  • Synonym for the word musing
  • Antonyms for the word muskeg
  • Homonyms for the word musketeer
  • Hyponyms for the word muso
  • Holonyms for the word mutha
  • Hypernyms for the word movement
  • Proverbs and sayings for the word muff
  • Translation of the word in other languages mull

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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[edit]

• enPR: mŭʹsəl, IPA^(key): /ˈmʌ.səl/, IPA^(key): /ˈmʌ.sl̩/
• Rhymes: -ʌsəl
• Homophone: mussel

Noun[edit]

muscle (countable and uncountable, plural muscles)

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

   Muscle consists largely of actin and myosin filaments.

   Synonym: thew

   • 1701, Nehemiah Grew, “Of the Use of Organized Bodies”, in Cosmologia Sacra: Or A Discourse of the Universe as It is the Creature and Kingdom of God. […], London: […] W. Rogers, S. Smith, and B[enjamin] Walford: […], →OCLC, 1st book, paragraph 18, page 27:

     For as the Trunk of the Body, is kept from tilting forvvard by the Muſcules of the Back: So, from falling backvvard, by theſe of the Belly.

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.
   • 2010, Adam Quinn, US Foreign Policy in Context, page 81

     The lesson to be drawn from the events of 1914, to Roosevelt’s mind, was that civilization needed muscle to defend it, not just solemn words.

   • 2013, John D. MacDonald, The Long Lavender Look, page 15

     It was going to take muscle to pluck Miss Agnes out of the canal.

   • 2022 January 12, Christian Wolmar, “A new year… but the same old mistakes are being made”, in RAIL, number 948, pages 40-41:

     How can the unions — or more specifically the RMT—possibly think this is a good time to exert a bit of industrial muscle and indulge in strikes both on the national railway and the London Underground?

5. (uncountable, figurative) Hired strongmen or bodyguards.
   • 1985 — Lance Parkin, The Infinity Doctors, p 34

     It was easy enough to dodge him, let him crash into the floorboards. Peltroc knew that his priority was the leader, not the hired muscle.

Alternative forms[edit]

• muscule (obsolete)

Hyponyms[edit]

• Types of muscles: See Category:en:Muscles

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

• myology
• myotomy

Verb[edit]

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

1. To use force to make progress, especially physical force.

   He muscled his way through the crowd.

   • 1988, Steve Holman, «Christian Conquers Columbus», Ironman 47 (6): 28-34.

     Hensel and Wilson hit a series of leg shots simultaneously as Christian muscles between them with Quinn right on his heels.

Derived terms[edit]

• outmuscle

Translations[edit]

[edit]

• mouse

References[edit]

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

Anagrams[edit]

• clumse

Catalan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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

Pronunciation[edit]

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /ˈmus.klə/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /ˈmus.kle/

Noun[edit]

muscle m (plural muscles)

1. shoulder

   • 2000, Francesc Serés, Els ventres de la terra, Columna, page 41:

     Quan ens cansem ella recolza el cap al meu muscle.

     When we get tired, she rests her head on my shoulder.

   Synonym: espatlla

Further reading[edit]

• “muscle” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “muscle”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
• “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[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle French muscle, a borrowing from Latin mūsculus (“a muscle”, literally “little mouse”). See also the inherited doublet moule (“mussel, clam”).

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /myskl/

Noun[edit]

muscle m (plural muscles)

1. muscle (contractile tissue, strength)

Derived terms[edit]

• muscle lisse
• muscle squelettique

Verb[edit]

muscle

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

Further reading[edit]

• “muscle”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Middle English[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Old English muscelle, from Late Latin mūscula (“mussel”). Reinforced by Old French mosle.

Alternative forms[edit]

• moskle, muschyl, muscul, muskall, muskel, muskele, muskell, muskle, muskyl, muskyll, musshell, mustul

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈmus(k)əl/, /ˈmus(k)lə/

Noun[edit]

muscle (plural muscles)

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

Descendants[edit]

• English: mussel
• Scots: mushle

References[edit]

• “muscle, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle French muscle, from Latin mūsculus (“muscle”).

Alternative forms[edit]

• mucell, muscule, musculle, muskylle

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈmusəl/, /ˈmuslə/, /ˈmuskiu̯l(ə)/

Noun[edit]

muscle (plural muscles)

1. (anatomy) muscle

Descendants[edit]

• English: muscle

References[edit]

• “muscle, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Middle French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin musculus.

Noun[edit]

muscle m (plural muscles)

1. (anatomy) muscle

Descendants[edit]

• French: muscle
• → Middle English: muscle
  • English: muscle

Norman[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin mūsculus (“a muscle”, literally “little mouse”), from Ancient Greek μῦς (mûs, “mouse, muscle, mussel”).

Noun[edit]

muscle m (plural muscles)

1. (anatomy) muscle

Occitan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin mūsculus.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

muscle m (plural muscles)

1. muscle
2. mussel

Further reading[edit]

• Joan de Cantalausa (2006) Diccionari general occitan a partir dels parlars lengadocians‎^[1], 2 edition, →ISBN, page 667.

Old English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• muscelle, muxle, musle

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Late Latin mūscula, from Latin mūsculus.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈmus.kle/

Noun[edit]

muscle f

1. mussel

Declension[edit]

Descendants[edit]

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

References[edit]

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

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Mussel.

Muscle is a tissue in animal bodies. Their main purpose is to help us to move our body parts. They are one of the major systems of human and animal bodies. When a muscle is activated it contracts, making itself shorter and thicker, thereby pulling its ends closer.

Types of muscles[change | change source]

There are three kinds of muscles:

• Skeletal muscle, the muscle attached to bones. They pull on bones to make movements.
• Smooth muscle, for example, the muscle in blood vessels and the bladder
• Cardiac muscle, the muscle of the heart

Muscle action can be classified as being either voluntary or involuntary.

The skeletal muscles move the limbs (arms and legs). They move the jaw up and down so that food can be chewed. Skeletal muscles are the only voluntary muscles, the only ones that we can choose to move.

The cardiac muscle is the muscle in the heart. When this muscle contracts it pushes blood through the circulatory system. The cardiac muscle is not voluntary.

The smooth muscles are the other muscles in the body that are involuntary. Smooth muscles are in many places. They are in:

• The gastrointestinal system – this includes the stomach and intestines. This is how food moves through us and we take energy from it.
• Blood vessels – smooth muscles make blood vessels smaller or bigger. This controls blood pressure.
• Hairs – smooth muscle in hair follicles makes your hair stand up when you are scared or get cold.

Muscle structure[change | change source]

Muscles are made of many muscle cells. The cells contract together to make the muscle get shorter. The muscle cells know to do this together because many of them get information sent to them by nerves. The cells that get the message from nerves tell other cells that are near them. They tell the other cells by sending an electrical current.

Muscle cells are filled with proteins called actin and myosin. These are the proteins that make the muscle contract (get shorter.)

Muscle contraction[change | change source]

When a nerve tells a muscle to contract, the muscle opens holes in its cell membrane. These holes are proteins that are called calcium channels. The calcium ions rush into the cell. Calcium also comes out of a special place in the cell called the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This calcium sticks to the specialized proteins actin and myosin. This triggers these proteins to contract the muscle.

Contraction also needs ATP. This is the energy that your cells use. It is made from using glucose in the cell. It takes a lot of energy to release contracted muscles. They use most of the energy for building muscles.

Exercise[change | change source]

Exercise makes muscles get bigger (see hypertrophy). Exercise also makes muscles stronger. If a person does not exercise, their muscles become smaller and weaker. This is called muscle atrophy.

Diseases of muscles[change | change source]

There are many different kinds of muscle diseases. There are three big groups of diseases:

1. Neuromuscular diseases – these are problems with how the nerves tell the muscles to move. Strokes, cerebral palsy, and Parkinson’s disease are neuromuscular diseases.
2. Motor endplate diseases – these are problems with the place where the nerve tells the muscle to move. Tetanus and myasthenia gravis are motor endplate diseases.
3. Myopathies – these are problems with the structure of the muscle. Muscular dystrophy, cancers like Ewing’s sarcoma, and cardiomyopathy are myopathies.

[change | change source]

• Bodybuilding
• Strength training
• Trapezius muscle

References[change | change source]