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thew

[thyoo]
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noun
  1. Usually thews. muscle or sinew.
  2. thews, physical strength.
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Origin of thew

before 900; Middle English; Old English thēaw custom, usage; cognate with Old High German thau (later dau) discipline; akin to Latin tuērī to watch
Related formsthew·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

backbonebodybrawncloutcouragedurabilityenergyfirmnessforcefortitudehealthhealthinessmightmusclenervephysiquepithpotencepotencypower

Examples from the Web for thew

Historical Examples

  • But do not count us by what we are in thew and muscle, but by what our summons can do among our countrymen.

    Red Gauntlet

    Sir Walter Scott

  • Alice Sheltoir, charged with being a common scold—to the thew.

    London

    Walter Besant

  • Thou art a man of many inches—of thew and sinew—Hey, but thou art a man!

  • Nick, larger than his brother, was a tower of thew and muscle.

    In the Brooding Wild

    Ridgwell Cullum

  • And she thew herself into Ralph's arms, while the tears of sorrow were quickly turned to tears of joy.

    The Young Bridge-Tender

    Arthur M. Winfield

British Dictionary definitions for thew

thew

noun
  1. muscle, esp if strong or well-developed
  2. (plural) muscular strength
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Derived Formsthewy, adjectivethewless, adjective

Word Origin

Old English thēaw; related to Old Saxon, Old High German thau discipline, Latin tuērī to observe, tūtus secure
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

Word Origin and History for thew

n.

Old English þeaw; see thews.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper