English base hamstring

Dictionary entry: hamstring
fenixpollo

fenixpollo

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Arizona
American English
According to Wikipedia, the hamstring is the name of the tendon above the knee in animals. In humans, it is the name of the muscle above the knee.
In human anatomy, a hamstring(/ˈhæmstrɪŋ/) is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in between the hip and the knee (from medial to lateral: semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris).[3] The hamstrings are susceptible to injury.[4] In quadrupeds, the hamstring is the single large tendon found behind the knee or comparable area.
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The en>es side has it wrong, which is not only borne out by the Wikipedia article, but also by the WR sample sentence in English, which refers to stretching the leg muscles before exercising.

hamstringn(anatomy: leg tendon) (persona)tendón de la corva loc nom m
músculos isquiotibiales loc nom mpl
(animal)tendón del jarrete loc nom m
Runners should stretch their hamstrings before and after exercise.
Los corredores deberían estirar el tendón de la corva antes y después de hacer ejercicio.
 
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    • I think I'm going to say that the OED is a more accurate source of information than Wikipedia:

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    Merriam-Webster also indicates that “hamstring” can be used to describe the muscles of the back of the leg, not just the tendons:

    2. any of three muscles at the back of the thigh that function to flex and rotate the leg and extend the thigh

    Definition of HAMSTRING

    This may be an informal and possibly even erroneous usage, but it’s pretty common (at least in the US) to refer to the muscles in the posterior part of the thigh as the hamstring.
     
    Yikes! This is dreadful. I mean, for me, the clue is in the fact it's called a hamSTRING. Clearly, the muscle meaning is valid in AE. Cambridge seems to be the only dictionary carrying it in BE - Collins and the OED are clear that it's a tendon. The Webster's entry on the Collins site says it's actually 'hamstring muscle' in full, which at least makes some sort of sense.

    Every time I think American English can't surprise me any more, something like this happens :rolleyes: I guess I'll make some changes.
     
    Ah, your life is hard! :p
    (And I've added another reference by a very senior member ;))
     
    It's a lonely road I walk ;)

    Clearly sportspeople are to blame for all of this. Doesn't surprise me really :D
     
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