[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/muscle/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [M](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/m/) / muscle

# muscle

noun (a muscle, muscles); verb (muscle in — informal); adjective muscular

«muscle» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A part of the body made of stretchy tissue that tightens and relaxes to make bones and parts of the body move. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muscle/#m1)
2. Strength: «It takes muscle to lift that». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muscle/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science: you have over 600 muscles; muscles work in pairs (biceps and triceps bend and straighten the arm); the heart is a muscle that never stops; some muscles you control (arm), some work by themselves (heart, stomach). In health: exercise and protein make muscles stronger; warm up before sport to avoid pulling a muscle. Phrases: pull a muscle, build muscle, muscle pain, heart muscle, muscle cramp, flex your muscles.

### Examples

- Muscles help you move your bones. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muscle/#x1)
- Your heart is a muscle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muscle/#x2)
- I pulled a muscle playing football. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muscle/#x3)
- Exercise makes your muscles stronger. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muscle/#x4)
- The biceps muscle bends your arm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muscle/#x5)
- Stretch your muscles after running. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muscle/#x6)
- He has strong leg muscles from cycling. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muscle/#x7)
- You use muscles in your face to smile. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muscle/#x8)
- After an hour he began to move, muscle by muscle, toward the jar. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muscle/#x9)

### Note

Spelling: the c is silent — «muscle», said «MUSS-ul». Do not confuse with «mussel», a shellfish that sounds the same. Countable: muscles. Myth: muscle does not turn into fat; they are different tissues.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «muscle» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muscle/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«muscle» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/muscle.html) on Mova free.