See Also: muscle 1, noun(dictionary)
muscle(2)(dictionary)
Muscle(health)
MUSCLE(medicine)
muscle(1)(dictionary)
Tod's muscle(medicine)
muscle(encyclopedia)
Red muscle(medicine)
sphincter muscle(medicine)
spinalis muscle(medicine)

muscle 1, noun (oh)



[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin musculus 'little mouse, muscle, mussel', from mus 'mouse'; because a muscle moving looks like a mouse under the skin]
[U and C] one of the pieces of flesh inside your body that you use in order to move, and that connect your bones together
::Relax your stomach muscles , then stretch again.
::Regular exercise will help to strengthen your muscles .
::Beckham has pulled a muscle in his thigh and won't play tomorrow.
not move a muscle
to stay completely still
::The soldier stood without moving a muscle.
[U] power or influence
military/economic/political etc muscle
::The unions have a lot of political muscle.
::The agreement will give the UN some muscle to enforce human rights.
[U] physical strength and power
::It took muscle to work in an old-fashioned kitchen.
put some muscle into it
(=used to tell someone to work harder)
-see also flex your muscles at flex 1 (2)
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COLLOCATES for sense 1
arm/leg/neck/stomach etc muscles
the muscles in your leg/arm/stomach etc
strengthen/build up your muscles
pull/strain a muscle (=injure a muscle)
flex your muscles (=bend your arm muscles so that people can see how strong you are)
muscle tissue/fibres (=the material that muscles are made of)
muscle tone (=the firmness of your muscles )