sinew

Meanings

Noun

• A cord or tendon of the body.
• A cord or string, particularly as of a musical instrument.
• Muscular power, muscle; nerve, nervous energy; vigor, vigorous strength.
• That which gives strength or in which strength consists; a supporting factor or member; mainstay.
• A nerve.

Verb

• To knit together or make strong with, or as if with, sinews.

Origin

• From Middle English sineu, sineue, sinue, from Old English seonu, sinewe, sinu, from Proto-West Germanic *sinu, from Proto-Germanic *sinwō, *senawō, from Proto-Indo-European *snḗh₁wr̥ ("tendon, sinew"), from *(s)neh₁-.
• The word is cognate with sinnow, Scots senon, sinnon, Saterland Frisian Siene ("sinew"), West Frisian senuw, sine, Dutch zenuw ("nerve, sinew"), German Sehne ("tendon, sinew; cord"), Icelandic sin ("tendon"), Swedish sena ("sinew"), Avestan 𐬯𐬥𐬁𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭 ("tendon, sinew"), Ancient Greek νεῦρον ("tendon; nerve; cord"), Latin nervus ("tendon, sinew; nerve"), Sanskrit स्नावन् ("sinew, tendon; muscle"), Tocharian B ṣñor ("sinew"). nerve, and neuron.