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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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said after the game that Werenski was dealing with a charley horse and that the injury was “not long term.”

From Seattle Times • Oct. 13, 2023

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

So she does, she really does, but a charley horse, and the general discomfort she can’t overcome, stops her.

From New York Times • Jul. 6, 2023

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

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.