animal tissue consisting predominantly of contractile cells
"The surgeon carefully dissected the exposed muscle to ensure she didn't damage any nerves during the repair."
authority or power or force (especially when used in a coercive way)
"the senators used their muscle to get the party leader to resign"
possessing muscular strength
"After years of lifting heavy weights, he finally developed enough muscle to carry the entire sofa up the stairs alone."
A contractile form of tissue which animals use to effect movement.
"The athlete's quadriceps muscle contracted powerfully as he sprinted toward the finish line."
In plain English: A muscle is a tough piece of tissue that helps your body move by pulling on bones when it contracts.
"He used his strong arm muscles to lift the heavy box."
Usage: Use "muscle" as a noun to refer specifically to the soft body tissue responsible for movement in animals, such as when describing how you flexed your arm after lifting weights. Do not use it to mean strength or effort unless you are employing a recognized metaphorical extension of that physical definition.
To use force to make progress, especially physical force.
"The team had to muscle through the heavy debris to reach the trapped survivors."
In plain English: To muscle something means to use your physical strength to push, shove, or move it.
"She had to muscle the heavy door open with all her strength."
Usage: Use "muscle" as a verb when you apply physical strength or force to move something heavy or overcome resistance, such as muscle the door open. Avoid using it for non-physical efforts like solving problems or influencing people, which require different verbs.
The word "muscle" comes from Old French and entered English via Middle English to describe a part of the body that resembles a small mouse in shape. It is literally derived from the Latin mūsculus, meaning "little mouse," which was used because some muscles look like tiny rodents.