muscle

  • noun 1 a band of fibrous tissue in the body that has the ability to contract, producing movement in or maintaining the position of a part of the body. 2 power or strength.

  • verb (muscle in/into) informal interfere forcibly in (another’s affairs).

  — DERIVATIVES muscly adjective.

  — ORIGIN Latin musculus, diminutive of mus ‘mouse’ (some muscles being thought to be mouse-like in form).

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