spier

spier (plural spiere)

1. muscle

From Middle Dutch spier (“pointed object; blade of grass; long pole; muscle”), from Old Dutch *spīr, from Proto-Germanic *spīraz, *spīrǭ. In Middle Dutch, the word took the meaning "muscle", likely due to the similarities in shape between its earlier meanings and muscle fibers.

• IPA^(key): /spir/, [spiːr]

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• Rhymes: -ir

spier f (plural spieren, diminutive spiertje n)

1. muscle (contractile tissue)
2. (archaic) blade (of a plant)

   Synonyms: spriet, halm

3. (archaic) blade of grass

   Synonyms: grasspriet, grashalm

4. spar (pole)

   Synonym: rondhout

• armspier
• beenspier
• buikspier
• bilspier
• hartspier
• oogspier
• gespierd
• spierwit
• spierversterken

• Afrikaans: spier

spier n (uncountable)

1. (dated) the collective of muscles
2. (obsolete) poultry, white meat, the whitish meat of fowl [16th. - 18th c.]

• prise