So have they hamstrung the valor of the subject by seeking to effeminate us all at home. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
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… … Etymology dictionary
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 — 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
