Muscularities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The qualities or attributes related to muscle development and strength
2. The characteristics associated with muscular physique, vitality, and physical prowess
3. The features or aspects that define muscular structure and effectiveness in physical performance

Etymology: "Muscularities" is simply the plural of "muscularity," which is formed from "muscular" plus the suffix "-ity." The suffix came into English through Middle English from Old French "-ité," itself descended from Latin "-itās," a common device for turning adjectives into abstract nouns about a quality or state. "Muscular" traces back to Latin "musculus," a diminutive of "mus," meaning "mouse," so the body's muscles were named for their supposed resemblance to small mice moving under the skin. The plural form appears when writers speak of several distinct qualities or displays of strength, such as different kinds of physical power, which is why the noun is used in the plural at all. The base word's story is the more striking part: an anatomical term once imagined as a little mouse now sits at the root of a word describing bodily vigour.

Synonyms: muscularity