- 1[countable, uncountable] a piece of body tissue that you contract and relax in order to move a particular part of the body; the tissue that forms the muscles of the body a calf/neck/thigh muscle to pull/tear/strain a muscle This exercise will work the muscles of the lower back. She tried to relax her tense muscles. He felt every muscle in his body tighten. He didn't move a muscle (= stood completely still). Topic CollocationsInjuriesbeing injured
- have a fall/an injury
- receive/suffer/sustain a serious injury/a hairline fracture/a gunshot wound/a concussion/whiplash injuries
- hurt/injure your ankle/back/leg
- damage the brain/an ankle ligament/your liver/the optic nerve/the skin
- pull/strain/tear a hamstring/ligament/muscle/tendon
- sprain/twist your ankle/wrist
- break a bone/your collarbone/your leg/three ribs
- fracture/crack your skull
- break/chip/knock out/lose a tooth
- burst/perforate your eardrum
- dislocate your finger/hip/jaw/shoulder/elbow
- bruise/cut/graze your arm/knee/shoulder
- burn/scald yourself/your tongue
- bang/bump/hit your elbow/head/knee (on/against something)
- treat somebody for burns/a head injury/a stab wound
- examine/clean/dress/bandage/treat a bullet wound
- repair a damaged/torn ligament/tendon/cartilage
- amputate/cut off an arm/a finger/a foot/a leg/a limb
- put on (formal) apply/take off a Band-Aid™/a sterile dressing/a bandage
- need/require/put in/get/take out stitches
- put on/rub on (formal) apply cream/ointment/lotion
- have/receive/undergo physical therapy
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- 2[uncountable] physical strength He's an intelligent player but lacks the muscle of older competitors.
- 3[uncountable] the power and influence to make others do what you want to exercise political/industrial/financial muscle
adjective heavily muscled shouldersIdioms
to show someone how powerful you are, especially as a warning or threatSee muscle in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Check pronunciation: muscle