[muhs-kyuh-ler] 
| 1. | of or pertaining to muscle or the muscles: muscular strain. |
| 2. | dependent on or affected by the muscles: muscular strength. |
| 3. | having well-developed muscles; brawny. |
| 4. | vigorously and forcefully expressed, executed, performed, etc., as if by the use of a great deal of muscular power: a muscular response to terrorism. |
| 5. | broad and energetic, esp. with the implication that subtlety and grace are lacking: a muscular style. |
| 6. | reflected in physical activity and work: a muscular religion. |
| 7. | Informal. having or showing power; powerful: a muscular vehicle. |
muscular mus·cu·lar (mŭs'kyə-lər)
adj.
Of, relating to, or consisting of muscle.
Having or characterized by well-developed muscles.
| muscle (mŭs'əl) Pronunciation Key
A body tissue composed of sheets or bundles of cells that contract to produce movement or increase tension. Muscle cells contain filaments made of the proteins actin and myosin, which lie parallel to each other. When a muscle is signaled to contract, the actin and myosin filaments slide past each other in an overlapping pattern. ◇ Skeletal muscle effects voluntary movement and is made up of bundles of elongated cells (muscle fibers), each of which contains many nuclei. ◇ Smooth muscle provides the contractile force for the internal organs and is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. Smooth muscle cells are spindle-shaped and each contains a single nucleus. ◇ Cardiac muscle makes up the muscle of the heart and consists of a meshwork of striated cells. muscular adjective |
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