MUSCLE
Dictionary entry overview: What does muscle mean?
• MUSCLE (noun)
The noun MUSCLE has 5 senses:
1. one of the contractile organs of the body
2. animal tissue consisting predominantly of contractile cells
3. a bully employed as a thug or bodyguard
4. authority or power or force (especially when used in a coercive way)
5. possessing muscular strength
Familiarity information: MUSCLE used as a noun is common.
• MUSCLE (verb)
The verb MUSCLE has 1 sense:
1. make one's way by force
Familiarity information: MUSCLE used as a verb is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
• MUSCLE (noun)
Meaning:
One of the contractile organs of the body
Classified under:
Nouns denoting body parts
Synonyms:
muscle; musculus
Hypernyms ("muscle" is a kind of...):
contractile organ; contractor (a bodily organ that contracts)
Meronyms (parts of "muscle"):
muscle cell; muscle fiber; muscle fibre (an elongated contractile cell that forms the muscles of the body)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "muscle"):
anatomical sphincter; sphincter; sphincter muscle (a ring of muscle that contracts to close an opening)
involuntary muscle; smooth muscle (a muscle that contracts without conscious control and found in walls of internal organs such as stomach and intestine and bladder and blood vessels (excluding the heart))
rectus (any of various straight muscles)
eye muscle; ocular muscle (one of the small muscles of the eye that serve to rotate the eyeball)
antagonistic muscle ((physiology) a muscle that opposes the action of another)
levator (a muscle that serves to lift some body part (as the eyelid or lip))
supinator (a muscle (especially in the forearm) that produces or assists in supination)
pronator (a muscle that produces or assists in pronation)
skeletal muscle; striated muscle (a muscle that is connected at either or both ends to a bone and so move parts of the skeleton; a muscle that is characterized by transverse stripes)
tensor (any of several muscles that cause an attached structure to become tense or firm)
Meaning:
Animal tissue consisting predominantly of contractile cells
Classified under:
Nouns denoting body parts
Synonyms:
muscular tissue; muscle
Hypernyms ("muscle" is a kind of...):
animal tissue (the tissue in the bodies of animals)
Domain member category:
tone; tonicity; tonus (the elastic tension of living muscles, arteries, etc. that facilitate response to stimuli)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "muscle"):
striated muscle tissue (muscle tissue characterized by transverse stripes)
cardiac muscle; heart muscle (the muscle tissue of the heart; adapted to continued rhythmic contraction)
smooth muscle (muscle tissue that does not appear striated under the microscope; has the form of thin layers or sheets)
Holonyms ("muscle" is a part of...):
muscle system; muscular structure; musculature (the muscular system of an organism)
Meaning:
A bully employed as a thug or bodyguard
Classified under:
Nouns denoting people
Synonyms:
muscleman; muscle
Context example:
the drug lord had his muscleman to protect him
Hypernyms ("muscle" is a kind of...):
bully; hooligan; roughneck; rowdy; ruffian; tough; yob; yobbo; yobo (a cruel and brutal fellow)
Meaning:
Authority or power or force (especially when used in a coercive way)
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Context example:
the senators used their muscle to get the party leader to resign
Hypernyms ("muscle" is a kind of...):
authorisation; authority; authorization; dominance; potency; say-so (the power or right to give orders or make decisions)
Meaning:
Possessing muscular strength
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Synonyms:
brawn; brawniness; heftiness; muscularity; sinew; muscle
Hypernyms ("muscle" is a kind of...):
strength (the property of being physically or mentally strong)
• MUSCLE (verb)
Meaning:
Make one's way by force
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Context example:
He muscled his way into the office
Hypernyms (to "muscle" is one way to...):
go across; go through; pass (go across or through)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s PP
