hamstring

hamstring
hamstring (v.) 1640s, "to disable, render useless," a figurative verbal extension from the noun hamstring "tendon at the back of the knee" (1560s), from ham "bend of the knee" (see HAM (Cf. ham) (1)) + STRING (Cf. string). Cutting this would render a person or animal lame. Related: Hamstrung.
n [i]hamstring, -string is not the verb string; we do not string the ham, but do something to the tendon called the hamstring; the verb, that is, is made not from the two words ham & string, but from the noun hamstring. It must therefore make hamstringed. [Fowler]

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • hamstring — [ham′striŋ΄] n. 1. one of the tendons at the back of the human knee 2. the large tendon at the back of the hock in a four legged animal 3. any of three large muscles that form the back of the thigh and work together to flex the leg, extend the… …   English World dictionary

  • Hamstring — Ham string (h[a^]m str[i^]ng ), n. (Anat.) One of the great tendons situated in each side of the ham, or space back of the knee, and connected with the muscles of the back of the thigh. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hamstring — Ham string , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Hamstrung}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Hamstringing}. See {String}.] To lame or disable by cutting the tendons of the ham or knee; to hough; hence, to cripple; to incapacitate; to disable. [1913 Webster] So have they… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hamstring — index deter, hinder, obstruct Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • hamstring — [v] disable cripple, debilitate, handicap, hinder, hobble, immobilize, impair, lame, maim, mangle, paralyze, weaken; concepts 130,246 …   New thesaurus

  • hamstring — ► NOUN 1) any of five tendons at the back of a person s knee. 2) the great tendon at the back of a quadruped s hock. ► VERB (past and past part. hamstrung) 1) cripple by cutting the hamstrings. 2) severely restrict; thwart. ORIGIN …   English terms dictionary

  • Hamstring — The prominent tendons at the back of the knee. They are the sidewalls of the hollow behind the knee. (This hollow is called the popliteal space). Both hamstrings connect to muscles that flex the knee. A pulled hamstring is a common athletic… …   Medical dictionary

  • Hamstring — Infobox Muscle Name = PAGENAME Latin = GraySubject = 128 GrayPage = 478 Caption = Back of left lower extremity. Caption2 = Interior muscular view of the three muscles that make up the hamstring Origin = tuberosity of the ischium, linea aspera… …   Wikipedia

  • hamstring — [[t]hæ̱mstrɪŋ[/t]] hamstrings, hamstringing, hamstrung 1) N COUNT A hamstring is a length of tissue or tendon behind your knee which joins the muscles of your thigh to the bones of your lower leg. Webster has not played since suffering a… …   English dictionary

  • hamstring — ham|string1 [ˈhæmˌstrıŋ] n a ↑tendon behind your knee, which sometimes gets injured when you do sport ▪ He pulled a hamstring in training. hamstring injury/problem/strain etc hamstring 2 hamstring2 past tense and past participle hamstrung [… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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