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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.

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

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

While that might work for a charley horse, it doesn’t enable you to be the best partner to your significant other, and it doesn’t enable you to stay around as long for your children.”

From New York Times • Nov. 28, 2017

"So it's just kind of like a stiff charley horse right now, but it'll be all right."

From Seattle Times • Jul. 18, 2012

It’ll give me a charley horse, but at least it may have saved this guy from getting a broken rib.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

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.