musclemen
|mus-cle-men|
🇺🇸
/ˈmʌsəlˌmɛn/
🇬🇧
/ˈmʌs(ə)lˌmɛn/
(muscleman)
strong, muscular man
Etymology
'musclemen' originates from English, specifically the compound of 'muscle' and 'man', where 'muscle' derives from Latin 'musculus' meaning 'little mouse' and 'man' comes from Old English 'mann' meaning 'person'.
'muscle' came into English via Old French and Middle English from Latin 'musculus'; it combined with the English word 'man' to form the compound noun 'muscleman', with the plural 'musclemen' following the irregular plural pattern of 'man' → 'men'.
Initially, the elements referred literally to 'a person notable for muscles'; over time the compound has kept that literal sense (a very muscular man) and also gained a figurative sense as 'a hired strongman or enforcer'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'muscleman': men with well-developed muscles, especially bodybuilders or strongmen.
The musclemen posed on stage during the competition.
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Noun 2
plural form of 'muscleman': hired strongmen or enforcers used to intimidate or use force on behalf of someone (informal, often pejorative).
The mob sent two musclemen to collect the debt.
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Last updated: 2026/01/10 10:13