heartstring
noun
Did you know?
Heartstring Has a Medical History
Before a love song could tug at your heartstrings, the job was more likely to be accomplished by a surgeon: the word heartstring used to refer to a nerve believed to sustain the heart. You might recognize the word's second syllable in hamstring, which refers to both a group of tendons at the back of the knee and to any of three muscles at the backs of the upper legs. It's also apparent in a rare dialect term for the Achilles tendon: heel string. And in light of these terms, it's not surprising to know that string itself was at one time used independently to refer to bodily cords like tendons and ligaments.
Examples of heartstring in a Sentence
Christian Lewis, Variety, 22 Apr. 2025
The newest Netflix western series will tug on your heartstrings.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 17 Apr. 2025
On April 12, the love planet will conclude its retrograde journey, and station direct in Pisces
Comments
Hold on to your heartstrings!
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
At 23 minutes, director Ema Ryan Yamazaki’s portrait of the competitive young musicians — who cry when criticized and act like their lives are ruined when another student is tapped to play their instrument of choice — must have worked voters’ heartstrings.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartstring
Cite this Entry
“Heartstring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartstring. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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heartstring
noun
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