Etymology

hamstring

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Today it means: One of the great tendons situated in each side of the ham, or space back of the knee, and connected with the muscles of the back of the thigh. Full definition →

First used 1640s
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The story

From ham (“region back of the knee joint”) + string.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1640s To cripple; to incapacitate; to disable.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.