† ˈmusculous, a. Obs.
[ad. L. mūsculōs-us, f. mūscul-us: see muscle n. and -ous.]
1. Full of or composed of muscle or muscles.
musculous stomach: cf. muscular a. 2.
| 1541 R. Copland Guydon's Quest. Chirurg. C iij, The other is flesshe musculous or lacertous. 1644 Digby Nat. Bodies xxxv. §8. 302 It is a musculous membrane. 1720 Quincy tr. Hodges' Acc. Plague 118 The musculous Flesh was..wasted. |
b. transf. of vegetable tissue.
| 1601 Holland Pliny II. 18 The Elecampane hath a root shorter than the Skirwirts or Parsnips.., but more musculous and fuller as it were of brawne. |
2. Characterized by muscular development. = muscular a. 3.
| 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. xxx. ix. 397 His bodie was well brawned, musculous & strong. 1668 Culpepper & Cole Barthol. Anat. iv. viii. 165, I have sometimes seen..in a musculous man, one triangular muscle [etc.]. 1704 Swift T. Tub xi. (1711) 196 He had a Tongue so musculous and subtle, that he could twist it up into his Nose. 1775 Johnson Journ. West. Isl., Col, They are indeed musculous and strong. |
3. Of or belonging to muscle or a muscle.
| 1653 H. More Antid. Ath. ii. xii. (1712) 79 The Tunicallvea has a Musculous power, and can dilate and contract..the Pupil. 1656 Blount Glossogr. s.v. Vein, Musculous vein, the first branch of the flanck veins, tearmed thus because it communicates it self with divers muscles. 1713 Derham Phys.-Theol. i. i. 10 note, In the Coat of this Bladder is a Musculous Power to contract it. 1758 J. S. Le Dran's Observ. Surg. (1771) Dict. C c iij b, Myodes Platysma, a Musculous Expansion. |
Hence † ˈmusculousness, ‘largeness or fulness of muscles’ (Bailey, vol. II, 1727).