physical strength; muscular strength
Formal or literary term for bodily power; rarely used in everyday conversation. Often encountered in classical or elevated writing.
He was said to possess great physical strength and lifted a huge boulder.
In classical heroic tales, muscular strength is often praised.
The kanji 膂 means 'backbone' or 'strength', and 力 means 'power'. The compound is of Chinese origin (Sino-Japanese), literally 'backbone strength', used in classical Chinese texts to denote physical might.