hamstring
hamstring
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling of "hamstring" is:
/ˈhæmstɹɪŋ/
Here's a breakdown of the sounds in each syllable:
First syllable (HAM):
/h/ - voiceless glottal fricative
/æ/ - near-open front unrounded vowel
/m/ - bilabial nasal
Second syllable (STRING):
/s/ - voiceless alveolar sibilant
/t/ - voiceless alveolar plosive
/ɹ/ - alveolar approximant
/ɪ/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel
/ŋ/ - velar nasal
Word Form Variations
Noun Forms:
Singular: hamstring (referring to a single tendon or muscle)
Plural: hamstrings (referring to multiple tendons or muscles)
Verb Forms:
Present Tense: hamstrings
Past Tense: hamstrung
Past Participle: hamstrung
Present Participle (Gerund): hamstringing
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Definitions, Synonyms, Antonyms
Noun:
Definition: A large tendon at the back of the knee joint.
Synonyms: tendon, muscle
Antonyms: none
Verb:
Definition: To cripple or severely impede someone or something.
Synonyms: cripple, disable, hinder, obstruct
Antonyms: enable, empower, facilitate
Examples of Use
Noun:
Sports: "The athlete pulled his hamstring during the race." (common usage in sports news and commentary)
Medical: "The doctor examined the patient's injured hamstring." (medical textbooks and journals)
Verb:
Politics: "The new regulations will hamstring the small businesses." (news articles and political commentary)
Business: "The company's outdated technology is hamstringing its growth." (business news and industry reports)
Literature: "The villain tried to hamstring the hero by cutting his Achilles tendon." (historical fiction novels and plays)
Film: "The detective was hamstrung by a lack of evidence." (crime dramas and detective fiction)
General Discourse:
"I'm feeling a bit hamstrung by this deadline." (everyday conversation)
"The team's performance was hamstrung by injuries." (sports analysis)
"The government's policies are hamstringing the economy." (news and current affairs)
These examples demonstrate the versatility of the word "hamstring," which can be used in a variety of contexts to convey the idea of being hindered or crippled.
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10 Famous Quotes Using the term Hamstring
“I've got no hamstring in the middle. I'm basically running on two hamstrings on my right leg and three on the other. That injury has probably changed my whole career. I've been compromised from the age of 19.” — Michael Owen
“I pulled a hamstring during the New York City Marathon. An hour into the race, I jumped off the couch.” — David Letterman
“My hamstring rips off the ass bone with a bang, the sound of my season ending right there.” — Nate Jackson, from Slow Getting Up: A Story of NFL Survival from the Bottom of the Pile
“A hamstring is definitely nothing to play with. There are chronic hamstring injuries where guys think it is fine, and they go out there and try to run and it just gets worse.” — Khris Middleton
“The worst injury I have ever suffered in the ring was a torn triceps; they had to take a piece of my hamstring to repair the tear. It was brutal; I was out for 6 months.” — Dave Bautista
“Hox is a racing word: it means to hamstring a horse not so brutally that she can't walk but cleverly so that she can't run. Society hoxes women and pretends that God, Nature or the genepool designed them lame.” — Jeanette Winterson
“After I hurt the knee, football wasn't nearly as much fun. I was limited. But you make do with what you have. I adjusted some. I was lucky to play as long as I did, with the different kinds of injuries I got. I played with two severed hamstring muscles in my leg late in my career. I could barely run, other than to drop back to pass.” — Joe Namath
“Between 12 and 14, I shot up a ridiculous amount. The muscles were struggling to stretch and grow at the rate my bones were growing. It gave me problems with my back and my hamstrings.” — Gareth Bale
“Take having tight hamstrings as an example. If you have not trained your low back to hinge correctly, your core muscles are weak, or your hips are unstable, your nervous system will slam on the brakes when you try to touch your toes.” — Scott H. Hogan, from Built from Broken
“Hopefully Andy Carroll has only tweeted his hamstring.” — Sam Allardyce, humorously commenting on a player's injury
Etymology
The word "hamstring" has a pretty interesting history. It comes from Old English, a language spoken in England a long time ago. Back then, "hamm" meant the hollow part behind your knee, and "string" referred to a tendon or ligament. So, a "hamstring" was literally the stringy part behind your knee.
Over time, the word's meaning expanded. People started using "hamstring" to describe the act of cutting that tendon, which would cripple someone or something. Today, we use it more figuratively to mean hindering or limiting something.
So, the next time you hear someone say they're "hamstrung" by a problem, you'll know it means they're being held back or slowed down, just like someone whose hamstring tendon was cut.
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Phrases + Idioms Containing the term Hamstring
Literal Usage:
Pulled a hamstring: A common sports injury, referring to straining the muscle.
Hamstring injury: A general term for any injury to the hamstring muscle group.
Metaphorical Usage:
Hamstrung by bureaucracy: Hindered or slowed down by excessive rules and regulations.
Hamstrung by lack of resources: Limited in ability due to insufficient resources.
Hamstrung by fear: Paralyzed by fear, unable to act.
Original Phrases and Idioms:
To be hamstrung by one's own ego: To be hindered by excessive pride or self-importance.
To cut someone's legs out from under them: A more colorful way to say "hamstring" someone, suggesting a sudden and debilitating blow.
To be tied up in knots: A metaphor for being confused, frustrated, or hindered.
While "hamstring" itself doesn't appear in many idiomatic expressions, its core meaning of hindering or crippling is often conveyed through other phrases and metaphors. The key is to understand the underlying concept of being limited or restricted.
Posts Related to Hamstring
Source Information
Definition of hamstring from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
