I. ˈsi(ˌ)nyü also ÷ ˈsi(ˌ)nü noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English sinwe, senewe, from Old English sinu, seonu; akin to Middle Dutch senewe sinew, Old High German senawa, Old Norse sin sinew, Middle Irish sīn chain, Latin seta, saeta bristle, Greek himas leather strap, thong, Sanskrit syati, sinati he binds, straps
1. : tendon ; especially : one dressed for use as a cord or thread
his linden cradle … safely bound with reindeer sinews — H.W.Longfellow
2. obsolete : nerve
3.
a. : solid resilient strength : power , force
to espouse democratic government demands intellectual and moral sinew as well as armies and good feeling — G.K.Chalmers
a solidly constructed novel, a tale with thews and sinews — William McFee
b. : the chief supporting force : mainstay — usually used in plural
equipment … providing the sinews of better living — Sam Pollock
c. : financial or material resources — usually used in the phrase sinews of war
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. : to run through as if with sinews in order to make strong
no ordinary belt … because it is sinewed with finely stranded airplane-type steel cables — Newsweek
2. : to give force or solidity to : strengthen
serve to sinew the state in times of danger — Oliver Goldsmith