sinew

[ sin-yoo ]

noun

1. a tendon.
2. Often sinews. the source of strength, power, or vigor:

   the sinews of the nation.

3. strength; power; resilience:

   a man of great moral sinew.

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with sinews; strengthen, as by sinews.

sinew

/ ˈsɪnjuː /

noun

1. anatomy another name for tendon
2. often plural
   1. a source of strength or power
   2. a literary word for muscle

Derived Forms

• ˈsinewless, adjective

Other Words From

• sinew·less adjective
• un·sinewed adjective
• un·sinew·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sinew¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English sinu (nominative), sinuwe (genitive); cognate with Dutch zenuw, German Sehne, Old Norse sin; akin to Sanskrit snāva sinew

Word History and Origins

Origin of sinew¹

Old English sionu; related to Old Norse sin, Old Saxon sinewa, Old High German senawa sinew, Lettish pasainis string

Example Sentences

Lois is a walking TV trope made tolerable solely by the muscle and sinew of Nash-Betts’ performance: another gifted detective who has seen too much and self-medicates with gallons of vodka.

From Salon

Ngannou's legs folded underneath him, more than 19 stone of bone, sinew and muscle going limp.

From BBC

He said the UK had been "straining every sinew" to get aid into Gaza and that it "must be flooded in".

From BBC

"We are straining every sinew to accelerate safely what we have to do to stop the leak, and the best way to do that is to remove the waste safely," he said.

From BBC

Writing Molly’s death and its aftermath, Butler is not afraid of its sinews and gore.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• tendon