hamstring

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   any of the muscles and tendons at the back of the thigh that bend the knee

   The runner stopped suddenly after straining a hamstring near the finish line.

2. 2
   verb

   to make a person, organization, or plan ineffective by severely restricting its ability to act

   A lack of spare parts hamstrung the rescue effort for several days.

3. 3
   verb

   historical: to cripple a person or animal by cutting the tendons behind the knee

   The retreating force hamstrung its remaining horses so they could not be captured and ridden.

Appears in

A compound of ham, the back of the knee or thigh, + string, referring to the cordlike tendons there. The verb first meant cutting those tendons to cripple; its now-common figurative sense is to deprive someone or something of effective power.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary