noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American:/t͡ʃɑɹli hoɹs/
Received-Pronunciation:/t͡ʃali hɔːs/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Synonym of cramp, a painful involuntary muscle contraction, particularly a strong cramp in the torso, arms, or legs.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, idiomatic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cramp
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A punch in the thigh.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a muscular cramp (especially in the thigh or calf) following vigorous exercise
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: charley-horse
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: spasm, cramp, muscle spasm
History
Etymology
Uncertain, although first attested in American baseball slang of the 1880s, possibly related to cramps suffered by the pitcher Charles Gardner Radbourn, who was nicknamed "Old Hoss", or possibly from period use of Charlie as a generic name for horses similar to Rover for dogs and Felix for cats.
Across languages
Translations
13 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Cantonese:
抽筋
(cau1 gan1)
— a muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg
Chinese Mandarin:
抽筋
(chōujīn)
— a muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg
Esperanto:
krurkramfo
— a muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg
Esperanto:
gambkramfo
— a muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg
Finnish:
jalkakramppi
— a muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg
Finnish:
suonenveto
— a muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg
French:
jambe de bois
— a muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg
French:
béquille
— a muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg
Icelandic:
harðsperrur
— a muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg
Icelandic:
þreytukrampi
— a muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg
Japanese:
こむら返り
(komuragaeri)
— a muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg
Norwegian Bokmål:
lårhøne
— a muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg
Swedish:
lårkaka
— a muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg