Hamstring
/ˈhæm.strɪŋ/noun
Either of the tendons at the back of the knee, or to severely hinder someone or something.
Did you know?The word was originally a literal anatomical term for the tendons behind the knee, and the verb meaning “to disable” came later from the brutal act of cutting or injuring that hidden leg-tendon.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
hamstringe
“the tendon or sinew behind the knee”
Middle English
ME
hamstring
“the tendon behind the knee; to disable by cutting those tendons”
Early Modern English
English
hamstring
“to cripple, disable, or make ineffective”
Modern English
English
hamstring
“the tendons at the back of the knee; to weaken or restrict severely”