hamstring
Americannoun
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(in humans and other primates) any of the tendons that bound the ham of the knee.
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(in quadrupeds) the great tendon at the back of the hock.
noun
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anatomy any of the tendons at the back of the knee
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the large tendon at the back of the hock in the hind leg of a horse, etc
verb
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to cripple by cutting the hamstring of
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to ruin or thwart
Etymology
Origin of hamstring
Explanation
Your hamstrings are groups of muscles and tendons between your hips and knees. If you pull a hamstring while running or jumping, you'll feel pain at the back of your thigh. Ouch! The hamstring muscle group is one of the most powerful in your body — attached to the knee and hip, these are the muscles and tendons that make it possible for you to run, walk, and jump. It's fairly common for athletes to injure their hamstrings and be (temporarily) immobilized. Fittingly, hamstring is also a verb meaning "render powerless." So an astronaut might complain that a lack of funding will hamstring NASA, making planned Mars voyages impossible.
Vocabulary lists containing hamstring
This Week in Words: December 1 - 7 , 2018
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Physical Education - Middle School and High School
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Planet Middle School
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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.
Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, who has been struggling with a hamstring problem, also features in the 26-man squad.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
Oklahoma City All-Star Jalen Williams has missed games with a hamstring injury, and San Antonio All-Star De’Aaron Fox is limping through contests on a sprained ankle.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026
Open war with Wilson could hamstring the company just as management is trying to chart a new course.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
The Southampton forward has enjoyed a superb 2026 since missing a huge chunk of the first-half of the season with a hamstring injury.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
I tried to follow his directions to the letter, but I felt a shooting pain through the front of my right quadriceps and down the back of my left hamstring.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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.
