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muscle [muscle 词源字典]: muscle: [16] Ultimately, muscle and mussel [OE] are the same word, and both owe their origin to a supposed resemblance to a mouse. They go back to Latin mūsculus, literally ‘little mouse’, a diminutive form of mūs ‘mouse’, which was applied to the shellfish because of a similarity in shape and colour, and to ‘muscle’ because the shape and movement of certain muscles beneath the skin, such as the biceps, reminded people of a mouse.

Latin mūsculus ‘mussel’ was borrowed into Old English as muscle or muxle; the -ssspelling began to emerge in the 15th century, inspired by Middle Low German mussel (which came from *muscula, a Vulgar Latin feminization of Latin mūsculus and source of French moule ‘mussel’) and reinforced in the 16th century by the introduction via Old French of muscle for ‘muscle’.

The notion of resemblance to a mouse also lies behind English musk.
=> mouse, mussel[muscle etymology, muscle origin, 英语词源]
extensor (n.): "muscle which serves to straighten or extend any part of the body," 1713, short for medical Latin musculus extensor, from Late Latin extensor "stretcher," agent noun from Latin extendere "spread out, spread" (see extend).
muscle (n.): late 14c., from Middle French muscle "muscle, sinew" (14c.) and directly from Latin musculus "a muscle," literally "little mouse," diminutive of mus "mouse" (see mouse (n.)).

So called because the shape and movement of some muscles (notably biceps) were thought to resemble mice. The analogy was made in Greek, too, where mys is both "mouse" and "muscle," and its comb. form gives the medical prefix myo-. Compare also Old Church Slavonic mysi "mouse," mysica "arm;" German Maus "mouse; muscle," Arabic 'adalah "muscle," 'adal "field mouse." In Middle English, lacerte, from the Latin word for "lizard," also was used as a word for a muscle.
Musclez & lacertez bene one selfe þing, Bot þe muscle is said to þe fourme of mouse & lacert to þe fourme of a lizard. [Guy de Chauliac, "Grande Chirurgie," c. 1425]
Hence muscular and mousy are relatives, and a Middle English word for "muscular" was lacertous, "lizardy." Figurative sense of "force, violence, threat of violence" is 1930, American English. Muscle car "hot rod" is from 1969.
muscular (adj.): 1680s, "pertaining to muscles," from Latin musculus (see muscle (n.)) + -ar. Earlier in same sense was musculous (early 15c.). Meaning "having well-developed muscles" is from 1736. Muscular Christianity (1857) is originally in reference to philosophy of Anglican clergyman and novelist Charles Kingsley (1819-1875). Muscular dystrophy attested from 1886.
muscularity (n.): 1680s, from Modern Latin muscularis (from Latin musculus; see muscle (n.)) + -ity.
musculature (n.): "system of muscles," 1875, from French musculature, from Latin musculus (see muscle (n.)).
musculo-: word-forming element meaning "involving or pertaining to muscles," from comb. form of Latin musculus "muscle" (see muscle (n.)).
mussel (n.): Old English muscle, musscel "shellfish, mussel," from Late Latin muscula (source of Old French musle, Modern French moule, Middle Dutch mosscele, Dutch mossel, Old High German muscula, German Muschel), from Latin musculus "mussel," literally "little mouse," also "muscle;" like muscle, derived from mus "mouse" on the perceived similarity of size and shape. The modern spelling, distinguishing the word from muscle, first recorded c. 1600, not fully established until 1870s.
popliteal (adj.): 1786, with -al (1) + Modern Latin popliteus (n.), 1704, short for popliteus (musculus), from poples "ham (of the leg)," which is of unknown origin.
trapezius (n.): muscle over the back of the neck, 1704, from Modern Latin trapezius (musculus), masc. adjective from trapezium (see trapezium). So called from the shape they form.
pectoralis: "Any of the major pectoral muscles in tetrapods; specifically = pectoralis major", Early 17th cent.; earliest use found in Helkiah Crooke (1576–1648), physician and anatomist. From post-classical Latin pectoralis, use as noun (short for pectoralis musculus) of classical Latin pectorālis, adjective.
latissimus: "Either of a pair of large, roughly triangular muscles covering the lower part of the back, extending from the sacral, lumbar, and lower thoracic vertebrae to the armpits", Early 17th century: modern Latin, from musculus latissimus dorsi, literally 'broadest muscle of the back'.
profundus: "A deep-seated muscle; specifically the flexor digitorum profundus muscle, which arises from the ulna, flexes the distal phalanges of the fingers, and is situated beneath the muscle which flexes the middle phalanges", Late 17th cent. From classical Latin profundus (originally in post-classical Latin or scientific Latin musculus profundus).
popliteus: "A flat muscle at the back of the knee which arises from the lateral condyle of the femur and is inserted into the posterior surface of the tibia, and serves to rotate the tibia on the femur, allowing the fully extended knee to begin flexion", Late 17th cent.; earliest use found in Randle Holme (1627–1700), herald painter. From post-classical Latin popliteus, adjective (in musculus popliteus) from classical Latin poplit-, poples knee joint, back of the knee, hough, of unknown origin + -eus.
orbicularis: "= orbicularis oculi", Late 17th cent.; earliest use found in John Browne (1642–?1702/3), surgeon. Shortened from post-classical Latin musculus orbicularis from classical Latin musculus + post-classical Latin orbicularis.
genioglossus: "A flat, fan-shaped muscle that originates from the superior genial tubercle and inserts onto the undersurface of the tongue and onto the hyoglossal ligament, acting mainly to extend or protrude the tongue. Frequently attributive, especially in genioglossus muscle", Early 17th cent.; earliest use found in Helkiah Crooke (1576–1648), physician and anatomist. From post-classical Latin genioglossus from ancient Greek γένειον chin + γλῶσσα tongue, with alteration of the ending after classical Latin mūsculus muscle.