noun
muscle
MUHS-uhl
noun
1
Body tissue that contracts to produce movement.
"Running builds muscle in your legs."
"She pulled a muscle in her back while lifting boxes."
2
Physical strength or power, including figuratively.
"The new law gives regulators more muscle to fine polluters."
3
Hired bodyguards or enforcers (informal).
"The nightclub owner kept a couple of guys around as muscle."
verb
1
To force one's way through something using strength or pressure.
"He muscled his way to the front of the queue."
"The company muscled into a market it didn't belong in."
How to Use Muscle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe tissue that lets your body move, or more broadly, strength and power.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "mussel," the shellfish — they're pronounced the same but spelled differently and come from the same Latin root by coincidence of image, not meaning.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
build muscle
pull a muscle
flex your muscles
muscle memory
Word Forms
muscled past tense, muscles plural, muscles singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “muscle”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Running builds _____ in your legs.
Etymology
From Latin musculus ("little mouse"), because a flexing muscle under the skin was thought to look like a small mouse moving. It shares this root with "mussel."