muscle
Other forms: muscles; muscled; muscling
Do you have the muscle to muscle your way to the top? Muscle is both a noun and verb associated with strength, power, or the use of physical force.
In addition to biological muscle, like the biceps in your arms, muscle can refer simply to power or authority, as in “We have the muscle to get the job done.” Muscle can also refer to a hired thug. In a similar sense, muscle is used as a verb to mean “use force.” A bully might muscle someone out of their lunch money, or you might muscle your way through a crowd by pushing people out of your way.
Definitions of muscle
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animal tissue consisting predominantly of contractile cells
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synonyms:
muscular tissue
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types:
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striated muscle tissue
muscle tissue characterized by transverse stripes
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cardiac muscle, heart muscle
the muscle tissue of the heart; adapted to continued rhythmic contraction
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smooth muscle
muscle tissue that does not appear striated under the microscope; has the form of thin layers or sheets
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SA node, cardiac pacemaker, pacemaker, sinoatrial node
a specialized bit of heart tissue that controls the heartbeat
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papillary muscle
any of several muscles associated with the atrioventricular valves
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atrioventricular bundle, atrioventricular trunk, bundle of His, truncus atrioventricularis
a bundle of modified heart muscle that transmits the cardiac impulse from the atrioventricular node to the ventricles causing them to contract
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atrioventricular node
a node of specialized heart muscle located in the septal wall of the right atrium; receives impulses from the sinoatrial node and transmits them to atrioventricular bundle
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myocardium
the middle muscular layer of the heart wall
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Purkinje fiber
a specialized cardiac muscle fiber that is part of the Purkinje network
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Purkinje network, Purkinje's system, Purkinje's tissue
a network of Purkinje fibers that carry the cardiac impulse from the atrioventricular node to the ventricles of the heart and causes them to contract
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type of:
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animal tissue
the tissue in the bodies of animals
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one of the contractile organs of the body
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synonyms:
musculus
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types:
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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
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pronator
a muscle that produces or assists in pronation
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supinator
a muscle (especially in the forearm) that produces or assists in supination
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levator
a muscle that serves to lift some body part (as the eyelid or lip)
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antagonistic muscle
(physiology) a muscle that opposes the action of another
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eye muscle, ocular muscle
one of the small muscles of the eye that serve to rotate the eyeball
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rectus
any of various straight muscles
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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)
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anatomical sphincter, sphincter, sphincter muscle
a ring of muscle that contracts to close an opening
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tensor
any of several muscles that cause an attached structure to become tense or firm
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voluntary muscle
striated muscle that can be controlled voluntarily
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abductor, abductor muscle
a muscle that draws a body part away from the median line
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adductor, adductor muscle
a muscle that draws a body part toward the median line
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anconeous muscle, musculus anconeus
the muscle that extends the forearm and abducts the ulna in pronation of the wrist
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agonist
a muscle that contracts while another relaxes
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antagonist
a muscle that relaxes while another contracts
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articular muscle
a muscle that inserts directly onto the capsule of a joint
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extensor, extensor muscle
a skeletal muscle whose contraction extends or stretches a body part
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flexor, flexor muscle
a skeletal muscle whose contraction bends a joint
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abducens muscle, lateral rectus, lateral rectus muscle, rectus lateralis
the ocular muscle whose contraction turns the eyeball outward
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inferior rectus, inferior rectus muscle, rectus inferior
the ocular muscle whose contraction turns the eyeball down and medially
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medial rectus, medial rectus muscle, rectus medialis
the ocular muscle whose contraction turns the eyeball medially
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rectus superior, superior rectus, superior rectus muscle
the ocular muscle whose contraction turns the eyeball upward and medially
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myometrium
the smooth muscle forming the wall of the uterus
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deltoid, deltoid muscle, musculus deltoideus
a large triangular muscle covering the shoulder joint and serving to abduct and flex and extend and rotate the arm
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serratus, serratus muscles
any of several muscles of the trunk
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musculus pectoralis, pecs, pectoral, pectoral muscle, pectoralis
either of two large muscles of the chest
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intercostal, intercostal muscle, musculus intercostalis
muscles between the ribs; they contract during inspiration
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depressor, depressor muscle
any skeletal muscle that draws a body part down
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ab, abdominal, abdominal muscle
the muscles of the abdomen
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lat, latissimus dorsi
a broad flat muscle on either side of the back
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glute, gluteal muscle, gluteus, gluteus muscle
any one of three large skeletal muscles that form the buttock and move the thigh
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physiological sphincter
a sphincter that is not recognizable at autopsy because its resting arrangement cannot be distinguished from adjacent tissue
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anal sphincter, musculus sphincter ani, sphincter ani
the sphincter muscle of the anus
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musculus sphincter ani externus
an external ring of striated muscle surrounding the anus
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musculus sphincter ani internus
an internal ring of smooth muscle formed by circular fibers of the rectum
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musculus sphincter urethrae, urethral sphincter
a striated sphincter muscle that constricts the urethra
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bladder sphincter, musculus sphincter vesicae
the sphincter muscle of the urinary bladder; made up of a thickened muscular layer of bladder around the urethral opening
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musculus sphincter ductus choledochi
the smooth muscle sphincter of the common bile duct
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musculus sphincter ductus pancreatici
the smooth muscle sphincter of the main pancreatic duct
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musculus sphincter pupillae, pupillary sphincter
a ring of smooth muscle surrounding the iris
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musculus sphincter pylori, pyloric sphincter, pyloric valve
the sphincter muscle of the pylorus that separates the stomach from the duodenum
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tensor tympani
a small muscle in the middle ear that tenses to protect the eardrum
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calf, sura
the muscular back part of the shank
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gastrocnemius, gastrocnemius muscle
the muscle in the back part of the leg that forms the greater part of the calf; responsible for the plantar flexion of the foot
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psoas
either of two muscles of the abdomen and pelvis that flex the trunk and rotate the thigh
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rhomboid, rhomboid muscle
any of several muscles of the upper back that help move the shoulder blade
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soleus, soleus muscle
a broad flat muscle in the calf of the leg under the gastrocnemius muscle
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splenius, splenius muscle
either of two flat muscles that extend from the upper vertebrae to the base of the skull and serve to rotate or flex or extend the head and neck
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peroneus
muscle of the lower leg that is involved in moving the foot
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pterygoid muscle
muscle descending from the sphenoid bone to the lower jaw
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biceps
any skeletal muscle having two origins (but especially the muscle that flexes the forearm)
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triceps
any skeletal muscle having three origins (but especially the triceps brachii)
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axial muscle
a skeletal muscle of the trunk or head
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musculus sartorius, sartorius, sartorius muscle
a muscle in the thigh that helps to rotate the leg into the sitting position assumed by a tailor; the longest muscle in the human body
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musculus scalenus, scalene muscle, scalenus
any of four pairs of muscles extending from the cervical vertebrae to the second rib; involved in moving the neck and in breathing
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musculus sternocleidomastoideus, sternocleido mastoideus, sternocleidomastoid, sternocleidomastoid muscle
one of two thick muscles running from the sternum and clavicle to the mastoid and occipital bone; turns head obliquely to the opposite side; when acting together they flex the neck and extend the head
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teres, teres muscle
either of two muscles in the shoulder region that move the shoulders and arms
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musculus tibialis, tibialis, tibialis muscle
either of two skeletal muscle in each leg arising from the tibia; provides for movement of the foot
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cowl muscle, musculus trapezius, trapezius, trapezius muscle
either of two flat triangular muscles of the shoulder and upper back that are involved in moving the shoulders and arms
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facial muscle
any of the skeletal muscles of the face
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musculus temporalis, temporal muscle, temporalis, temporalis muscle
muscle extending from the temporal fossa to the coronoid process of the mandible; acts to raise the mandible and close the jaws
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type of:
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contractile organ, contractor
a bodily organ that contracts
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a bully employed as a thug or bodyguard
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authority or power or force (especially when used in a coercive way)“the senators used their muscle to get the party leader to resign”
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type of:
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authorisation, authority, authorization, dominance, potency, say-so
the power or right to give orders or make decisions
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authorisation, authority, authorization, dominance, potency, say-so
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possessing muscular strength
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synonyms:
brawn, brawniness, heftiness, muscularity, sinew
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type of:
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strength
the property of being physically or mentally strong
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strength
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make one's way by force“He muscled his way into the office”
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type of:
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go across, go through, pass
go across or through
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go across, go through, pass
Pronunciation
US
/ˈməsəl/
UK
/ˈməsəl/
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Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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