hamstring
/ˈhamstrɪŋ
/noun
1Any of five tendons at the back of a person’s knee: he pulled a hamstring...
- The lift is actually performed by the leg muscles (quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteus maximus) on the way up.
- You must squat to build a symmetrical sexy lower body with a balance between the quadriceps and the hamstrings and gluteus maximus.
- Your gluteus maximus and hamstrings are powerful hip extensors that are activated whenever you stand, sit or step up.
1.1The great tendon at the back of a quadruped’s hock.Do not run down the rear of the leg when nearing the hock as it is easy to cut the hamstring and cause lameness....
- They can go to the neck and slice the jugular vein and carotid artery; they can cut the hamstring above the hock; they can cut the band on top of the neck.
verb (past and past participle hamstrung) [with object]
1Cripple (a person or animal) by cutting their hamstrings.He hammered the remnants of his blade into the chest of the one who shattered it, and jumped to avoid a swipe that would have hamstrung him....
- Squall pushed aside the chair that Mathers was trying to hamstring him with.
Synonyms
cripple, lame, hock, disable, handicap, injure
1.1Severely restrict the efficiency or effectiveness of: we were hamstrung by a total lack of knowledge...
- His ability to bring reform to Brazil will be hamstrung by budget restrictions
- Its construction has been hamstrung by numerous delays and corruption scandals.
- But our currency is hamstrung by severe structural distortions in both the economic and financial spheres.
Synonyms
handicap, constrain, restrict, cripple, shackle, fetter, encumber, block, frustrate, cramp, bridle;
hamper, hinder, obstruct, impede, inhibit, retard, baulk, thwart, foil, curb, delay, set back, slow down, hold back, hold up;
restrain, check, curtail
informal stymie
North American informal bork
literary trammel
rare cumber
Origin
16th century: from ham1 + string.