shin splints

noun

, (used with a plural verb)

1. a painful condition of the front lower leg, associated with tendinitis, stress fractures, or muscle strain, often occurring as a result of running or other strenuous athletic activity, especially on a nonresilient surface.

shin splints

noun

1. functioning as singular or plural a painful swelling of the front lower leg, associated with muscle or bone inflammation, and common among athletes and other sportspeople

Word History and Origins

Origin of shin splints¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Some were just strange — like when Salazar had Goucher smear crushed aspirin mixed with a topical cream on her legs as an ad hoc remedy for shin splints, leaving her with bloody, blistering second-degree burns.

From Washington Post

He is recovering from an injury, but Kelly was optimistic he’d be back at practice within days from shin splints.

From Seattle Times

A potential future major contender missing from this year's Wimbledon is 21-year-old American Sebastian Korda, who pulled out on Monday because of "terrible shin splints and beaten-up feet".

From BBC

In addition to the kind of pain Liem described, other signs of overexercise can include shin splints, tendinitis and stress fractures.

From Seattle Times

Open champion Curtis Strange used to leave the tournament with shin splints.

From Seattle Times