sinew

[ sin-yoo ]
/ ˈsɪn yu /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR sinew ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a tendon.
Often sinews. the source of strength, power, or vigor: the sinews of the nation.
strength; power; resilience: a man of great moral sinew.

verb (used with object)

to furnish with sinews; strengthen, as by sinews.

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Origin of sinew

before 900; Middle English; Old English sinu (nominative), sinuwe (genitive); cognate with Dutch zenuw, German Sehne, Old Norse sin; akin to Sanskrit snāva sinew

OTHER WORDS FROM sinew

sin·ew·less, adjectiveun·sin·ewed, adjectiveun·sin·ew·ing, adjective

Words nearby sinew

sine prole, sine qua non, sine wave, sinecure, sinemet, sinew, sinewy, sinfjotli, sinfonia, sinfonietta, sinful
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to sinew

tendon, vigor, potency, force, power, vitality, muscle, thew

Example sentences from the Web for sinew

British Dictionary definitions for sinew

sinew
/ (ˈsɪnjuː) /

noun

anatomy another name for tendon
(often plural)
  1. a source of strength or power
  2. a literary word for muscle

Derived forms of sinew

sinewless, adjective

Word Origin for sinew

Old English sionu; related to Old Norse sin, Old Saxon sinewa, Old High German senawa sinew, Lettish pasainis string
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

Medical definitions for sinew

sinew
[ sĭn′yōō ]

n.

A tendon.
Vigorous strength; muscular power.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.