View synonyms for charley horse

charley horse

[ chahr-lee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a painful, involuntary cramp of an arm or leg muscle resulting from excessive muscular strain or a blow.

charley horse

/ ˈtʃɑːlɪ /

noun

informal.
muscle stiffness or cramp following strenuous athletic exercise

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Word History and Origins

Origin of charley horse¹

First recorded in 1885–90; originally baseball slang

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Word History and Origins

Origin of charley horse¹

C19: of uncertain origin

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Idioms and Phrases

Cramp or stiffness in a muscle, most often in the thigh, as in After working in the garden I frequently get a bad charley horse . First used in the 1880s among baseball players, the term was soon extended to more general use. Its true origin is disputed. Among the more likely theories proposed is that it alludes to the name of either a horse or an afflicted ball player who limped like one of the elderly draft horses formerly employed to drag the infield.

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Example Sentences

She may be muscle-bound and throw a splint sometimes, or get the Charley horse; but megrims are not for her—believe me!

From Project Gutenberg

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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