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thews

 - 3 dictionary results

thew

  [thyoo] ,
Use thews in a Sentence
–noun
1. Usually, thews. muscle or sinew.
2. thews, physical strength.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME; OE thēaw custom, usage; c. OHG thau (later dau) discipline; akin to L tuērī to watch

Related forms:
thewy, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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thew   (thyōō)   
n.  

  1. A well-developed sinew or muscle.

  2. Muscular power or strength. Often used in the plural.


[Middle English, individual habit, virtue, strength (sense influenced by sinew), from Old English thēaw, a custom, habit.]
thew'y adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

thews 
O.E. þeawes "customs, manners, personal qualities," pl. of þeaw "habit, custom," from P.Gmc. *thawaz (cf. O.S. thau "usage, custom, habit," O.H.G. thau "discipline"); no certain cognates outside W.Gmc. Meaning "bodily powers or parts indicating strength, good physique" is attested from 1566, from notion of "good qualities." Acquired a sense of "muscular development" when it was revived by Scott (1818).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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