sinewy

English

From sinew +‎ -y.

sinewy (comparative more sinewy, superlative most sinewy)

Tough; having strong sinews.
- 1593, [William Shakespeare], Venvs and Adonis, London: Imprinted by Richard Field, […], OCLC 837166078, [verse 17]; 2nd edition, London: Imprinted by Richard Field, […], 1594, OCLC 701755207, lines [97–100]:
  I haue beene wooed, as I intreat thee now, / Euen by the ſterne, and direfull God of warre, / VVhoſe ſinowie necke in battel nere did bow, / VVho conquers where he comes in euery iarre; […]
- 1885, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, “Of the Wonderful Things the Incomparable Don Quixote Said He Saw in the Profound Cave of Montesinos, the Impossibility and Magnitude of which Cause this Adventure to be Deemed Apocryphal”, in John Ormsby, transl., The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha […] In Four Vols, volume III, London: Smith, Elder & Co. […], OCLC 906154755, part II, page 251:
  His right hand (which seemed to me somewhat hairy and sinewy, a sign of great strength in its owner) lay on the side of his heart; […]
(figuratively) Having or showing nervous strength.
(of a person) Possessing physical strength and weight; rugged and powerful.
- 1965 (original), Frank Herbert, Dune, Ace Edition; June 1987, Pennsylvania, page 32:
  Hawat put a sinewy finger beside his eye.

tough; having strong sinews

having nervous strength

possessing physical strength

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.