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Meaning of "charley horse" in the English dictionary

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ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD CHARLEY HORSE

Of uncertain origin.
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Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
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PRONUNCIATION OF CHARLEY HORSE

charley horse  [ˈtʃɑːlɪ] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF CHARLEY HORSE

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Charley horse is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES CHARLEY HORSE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Charley horse

A charley horse is a popular colloquial term in Canada and the United States of America for painful spasms or cramps in the leg muscles, typically lasting anywhere from a few seconds to about a day. It can also refer to a bruise on an arm or leg and a bruising of the quadriceps muscle of the anterior or lateral thigh, or contusion of the femur, that commonly results in a haematoma and sometimes several weeks of pain and disability. In this latter sense, such an injury is known as dead leg. In Australia it is also known as a corked thigh or corky. It often occurs in contact sports, such as football when an athlete suffers a knee to the lateral quadriceps causing a haematoma or temporary paresis and antalgic gait as a result of pain. Another nuance for the term jolly horse is used to describe simple painful muscle cramps in the leg or foot, especially those that follow strenuous exercise. Other times, the term can be used to refer to cramps in the foot muscles.

Definition of charley horse in the English dictionary

The definition of charley horse in the dictionary is muscle stiffness or cramp following strenuous athletic exercise.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH CHARLEY HORSE


Bali
ˈbɑːlɪ
barley
ˈbɑːlɪ
Charley
ˈtʃɑːlɪ
charlie
ˈtʃɑːlɪ
Dali
ˈdɑːlɪ
Denali
dɪˈnɑːlɪ
Diwali
dɪˈwɑːlɪ
finale
fɪˈnɑːlɪ
Ghazali
ˈɡɑːzˌɑːlɪ
Harley
ˈhɑːlɪ
Kigali
kɪˈɡɑːlɪ
Mali
ˈmɑːlɪ
Marley
ˈmɑːlɪ
marly
ˈmɑːlɪ
Mexicali
ˌmɛksɪˈkɑːlɪ
Pali
ˈpɑːlɪ
quale
ˈkwɑːlɪ
Somali
səʊˈmɑːlɪ
tamale
təˈmɑːlɪ
wali
ˈwɑːlɪ

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE CHARLEY HORSE

charleston
Charley
charlie
charlier shoe
charlock
charlotte
Charlotte Amalie
charlotte russe
Charlottenburg
Charlottetown
Charlton
charm
charm bracelet
charm offensive
charm school
charmed
charmed circle
charmer
Charmeuse
charmful

WORDS THAT END LIKE CHARLEY HORSE

clotheshorse
cutting horse
dark horse
for the worse
gift horse
horse
iron horse
light horse
put the cart before the horse
quarter horse
racehorse
rocking horse
sawhorse
sea horse
seahorse
shire horse
to get off your high horse
white horse
Whitehorse
wild horse
workhorse

Synonyms and antonyms of charley horse in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «charley horse» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF CHARLEY HORSE

Find out the translation of charley horse to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of charley horse from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «charley horse» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

抽筋
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

charley horse
570 millions of speakers

English

charley horse
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

चार्ली घोड़ा
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

تشارلي الحصان
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

Чарли лошадь
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

cavalo charley
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

চার্লি ঘোড়া
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

crampe
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Kuda charley
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Charley Pferd
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

チャーリー馬
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

찰리 말
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Charley horse
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

ngựa charley
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

கரி குதிரை
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

चार्ली घोडा
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Charley horse
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

crampo
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

Charley konia
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

Чарлі кінь
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

Charley cal
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

charley άλογο
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

Charley perd
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

charley häst
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

Charley hest
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of charley horse

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «CHARLEY HORSE»

The term «charley horse» is normally little used and occupies the 123.679 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Little used
42
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «charley horse» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of charley horse
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «charley horse».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «CHARLEY HORSE» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «charley horse» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «charley horse» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about charley horse

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «CHARLEY HORSE»

Discover the use of charley horse in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to charley horse and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
The Dickson Baseball Dictionary (Third Edition)
Pfeffer, Anson and Kelly are so badly troubled with 'Charley horse' there are times they can scarcely walk” (The Boston Globe, July 17). The term enjoyed wide use by 1887; e.g., “Dalrymple and Brown, of the Pittsburgs, are suffering with ...
Paul Dickson, Skip McAfee, 2011
2
How Come? in the Neighborhood
To stop the pain of a charley horse, some advise stretching the clenching muscle. But others say stretching may just make the pain worse. They suggest shortening the muscle: If you are awakened by a charley horse in your calf, pull your foot ...
Kathy Wollard, 2007
3
Dictionary of Word Origins: A History of the Words, ...
CAT'S-PAW CHALK EATER CHANCERY CHARLEY HORSE CHATTERBOX Cat's-Paw. Why is a dupe called a "cat's-paw"? The reference is to the ancient fable of the monkey who wanted to get some roasted chestnuts from the fire. To keep ...
Jordan Almond, 1995
4
Matt Christopher's Baseball Jokes and Riddles
Charley Horse Pitcher Charley Esper, who played with Baltimore in the 1890s, was not known for his breakaway running speed. In fact, his teammates thought he ran like a lame horse. Ever since, a runner who suffers from a cramp in his leg is ...
Matt Christopher, 2009
5
Charles Albert Damrow 1916-1989 An American Cowboy Artist
“In 1969, Charley established Charley Horse, Incorporated, with Capital stock of $200,000. He had stock certificates printed (see one on the following page) and had an impressive list of prospective investors which included former well-to-do ...
Patricia Damrow Register, 2010
6
Nineteenth Century Stars: 2012 Edition
Still, he is responsible for one memorable thing: Quest has been credited with coining the phrase “Charley horse” used to describe a severe muscle cramp. In 1882, while Quest was playing second base with Cap Anson's Chicago National  ...
Robert L. Tiemann, Mark Rucker, Joseph M. Overfield, 2013
7
Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the ...
But somehow mere "cramp" doesn't do justice to such torment, so we've been calling it a "charley horse" since the 1880s. Why “charley horse"? That question has given word sleuths a pain for over a hundred years. Etymologists may be ...
Patricia T. O'Conner, Stewart Kellerman, 2010
8
Why Rattlesnakes Rattle: ...and 250 Other Things You Should Know
What Is a Charley Horse? Charley horse (often spelled with a lowercase c) is a lay term for a muscle cramp. Although typically referring to a cramp in the thigh, a charley horse can also occur in other areas of the body. Ath— 3 letes, or others ...
Valeri R. Helterbran, 2012
9
ManWords: Real Words for Real Men
Real Words for Real Men Jeremy Greenberg. charley horse charley horse (noun) cramps are what women get on days when they call in sick to work. When a man's muscle cramps, he gets a charley horse. The name comes from a famous ...
Jeremy Greenberg, 2011
10
Speaking of Animals: A Dictionary of Animal Metaphors
74 CHARLEY HORSE CHARLEY HORSE a charley horse. A cramp in the thigh. WNNCD: 1888. Source: HORSE. Charley horse originated among the Chicago White Stockings baseball players in the late 1880s who likened their cramped ...
Robert Allen Palmatier, 1995

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «CHARLEY HORSE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term charley horse is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Marine biologists say shark attacks along the Gulf Coast are rare …
LePrevost likens the pain to an unexpected charley horse or cramped feeling accompanied by stiffness. His children were able to make it out of ... «ABC Action News, Jul 15»
2
Still holding his mud: A day in the life of 'struggling' guitarist Merle …
The charley horse [i.e. a muscle cramp often occurring in the legs] is from developing the muscles to do what I do and then laying off. My body ... «Examiner.com, Jul 15»
3
Hagerstown pitcher who faced young Willie Mays remembered
He battled through shin splints and a charley horse to get the win. Mays went 2-for-4 and scored a run in the game, but also accounted for one ... «Herald-Mail Media, Jun 15»
4
Kayak fishing experts offer tips to make sport fun, safe
“If you get a charley horse, you're going to drown. “It's an essential piece of gear that everyone should have and use. Find something that is ... «Black Hills Pioneer, Jun 15»
5
LB Mock Draft: Nets Take Cliff Alexander 29th Overall
The Nets are as ostentatiously, comprehensively screwed as a team can be without incurring the kind of intergenerational karmic charley horse ... «Liberty Ballers, Jun 15»
6
The Sneaky Reason Your Feet Hurt -- And How To Fix It
As a bonus, this technique can also relieve charley horse pain. "This is going to help because you're bringing blood flow to the area because ... «Huffington Post, Jun 15»
7
Black widow spider bites, kills and eats cricket
If you've ever had a charley horse, as we call them, which is a muscle cramp in your leg, you can see how painful this might be if your whole ... «AL.com, Jun 15»
8
10 Things Women Deal With That Men Will Never Understand
One time I woke up with a really bad charley horse though. We Recommend. 5. Tampons. Do you just carry them on you two weeks out of the ... «Cosmopolitan.com, Jun 15»
9
Live updates: Warriors fall to Cavs, trail series 1-2
dleung @diamond83. Warriors' Klay Thompson to play after getting kneed in Game 2: 'It's just a charley horse' ibabuzz.com/warriors/2015/… «San Jose Mercury News, Jun 15»
10
Warriors Notebook: Popovich still big influence on Kerr
“It's just a charley horse,” said Thompson, who scored a team-high 34 points Sunday. Thompson did not appear on the Warriors' injury report ... «Santa Cruz Sentinel, Jun 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Charley horse [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/charley-horse>. Apr 2024 ».
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