What does "muscle" mean?
A contractile form of tissue which animals use to effect movement.
Muscle
/ˈmʌs.əl/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A contractile form of tissue which animals use to effect movement.
- Grammar: muscle is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: muscular tissue, adductor, arm, beef.
- Useful contrasts: fatty, acquiesce, blubbers.
- Usage evidence: Muscle tissue consists of innumerable cells.
How to use "muscle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "muscle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "muscle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "muscle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "muscle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "muscle" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "muscular tissue" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "muscle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A contractile form of tissue which animals use to effect movement. uncountable
"Muscle consists largely of actin and myosin filaments."
- 2 possessing muscular strength wordnet
- 3 An organ composed of muscle tissue. countable
"His brow and hair and the palms of his hands were wet, and there was a kind of nervous contraction of his muscles. They seemed to ripple and string tense."
- 4 authority or power or force (especially when used in a coercive way) wordnet
- 5 A well-developed physique, in which the muscles are enlarged from exercise. countable, plural-normally, uncountable
"2008, Lou Schuler, "Foreward", in Nate Green, Built for Show, page xii The fact that I was middle-aged, bald, married, and raising girls instead of chasing them didn't really bother me. Muscles are cool at any age."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 animal tissue consisting predominantly of contractile cells wordnet
- 7 Strength, force. figuratively, uncountable
"The widely-backed campaign to recall Evan Mecham as governor of Arizona gained even more muscle when the state House of Representatives voted to impeach the ultraconservative on February 5."
- 8 one of the contractile organs of the body wordnet
- 9 Hired strongmen or bodyguards. figuratively, uncountable
"It was easy enough to dodge him, let him crash into the floorboards. Peltroc knew that his priority was the leader, not the hired muscle."
- 10 a bully employed as a thug or bodyguard wordnet
Verb
- 1 To use force to make progress, especially physical force. transitive
"He muscled his way through the crowd."
- 2 make one's way by force wordnet
- 3 To move forcefully or with great strength. intransitive
"She muscled through the ruins."
Example
"Muscle tissue consists of innumerable cells."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "muscle"?
Common synonyms include: muscular tissue, adductor, arm, beef, beefiness, biceps.
How do you use "muscle" in a sentence?
Muscle tissue consists of innumerable cells.
How do you pronounce "muscle"?
Pronounced /ˈmʌs.əl/.
Etymology
From Middle English muscle, muscule, muskylle, and in part from Middle French muscle, from Latin mūsculus (“a muscle”, literally “little mouse”) because of the mouselike appearance of some muscles, from mūs (“mouse”). Doublet of mussel. More at mouse.