charley horse

American  

[chahr-lee] / ˈtʃɑr li /

noun

1. a painful, involuntary cramp of an arm or leg muscle resulting from excessive muscular strain or a blow.

---

charley horse British  

/ ˈtʃɑːlɪ /

noun

1. informal muscle stiffness or cramp following strenuous athletic exercise

---

charley horse Idioms  

1. Cramp or stiffness in a muscle, most often in the thigh, as in After working in the garden I frequently get a bad charley horse. First used in the 1880s among baseball players, the term was soon extended to more general use. Its true origin is disputed. Among the more likely theories proposed is that it alludes to the name of either a horse or an afflicted ball player who limped like one of the elderly draft horses formerly employed to drag the infield.

---

Usage

What does charley horse mean? A charley horse is an involuntary muscle spasm or cramp, usually occurring in the larger muscles of the limbs. It can last anywhere from a few seconds to more than a day—and can really hurt. Charley horse is popularly spelled Charlie horse or charlie horse. 

Etymology

Origin of charley horse

First recorded in 1885–90; originally baseball slang

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

charley horse

Once she yells about her charley horse what might have been a saucy turn degrades into an awkward limb pile because that is Miranda's avocation.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2023

“It’s kind of like the worst charley horse you ever had,” Vaughn said.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 30, 2022

Jackson had a charley horse that forced him to miss Friday’s stadium practice, so this game is the first time Jackson will appear in a game setting for Washington.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 12, 2021

So far this season Prust has played through a shoulder problem, a charley horse, this ankle issue, and probably some other hurts that were “just pain.”

From New York Times ● Jan. 25, 2011

Otto caught a charley horse from standing in one spot with the fake camera and had to hop on one leg.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

Related Words

• ache
• constipation
• contraction
• convulsion
• pain
• stiffness
• twinge