sinew

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noun sin·ew \ˈsin-(ˌ)yü also ˈsi-(ˌ)nü\

Definition of sinew

1 : tendon; especially : one dressed for use as a cord or thread
2 obsolete : nerve
3a : solid resilient strength : power astonishing intellectual sinew and clarity — Reynolds Priceb : the chief supporting force : mainstay —usually used in plural providing the sinews of better living — Sam Pollock

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Examples of sinew in a Sentence

cutting through bone and sinew
the justices displayed great intellectual depth and sinew in writing their opinion on this case

Did You Know?

Many parts of the body have come to have figurative meanings in English. One can have an eye for interior design, for example, or the stomach for a fight. "Muscle," of course, can mean "strength," and so can "sinew," a word for the tissue that ties muscle to bone - more commonly known as a tendon. (For a while, "sinew" also meant "nerve," but that usage is obsolete.) The use of "sinew" to mean "the chief supporting force" ties into its anatomical function as a stabilizing unit. Sinew derives via Middle English from Old English "seono"; it is also related to Old High German senawa ("sinew") and Sanskrit "syati" ("he binds").