unsinew
Verb (transitive, rare or poetic): - To remove strength or firmness from: "unsinew" means to deprive of sinew, i.e., to weaken, to make less robust or less solid. - To cause to lose structural integrity: to make something less taut, resilient, or capable of supporting force, often used metaphorically for physical or moral weakening.
- (His limbs lost their strength and firmness.)
- (It can weaken their determination.)
"to unsinew the spirit": to drain someone of courage or vitality.
- The harsh winter unsinewed the morale of the troops. (The winter weakened their spirit.)
"to unsinew an argument": to make a line of reasoning less convincing or less logically sound.
- The lack of evidence unsinewed his entire case. (It made his case weak and unsupported.)
Unsinewed (adj): having lost sinew; weak, flaccid.
- His unsinewed muscles could no longer lift the weight. (His muscles had become weak.)
Sinew (n): the tough, fibrous tissue connecting muscle to bone; also used figuratively for strength or power.
- The sinews of the nation are its people. (The source of strength.)
- Enervate: to cause someone to feel drained of energy or vitality.
- Debilitate: to make someone very weak and infirm.
- Weaken: to make less strong or powerful.
(None commonly attested for "unsinew". The word is primarily used as a simple transitive verb.)
(No common idioms directly include "unsinew". However, the concept is related to the idiom:) - "Cut the sinews of": to destroy the source of strength or support. - The new law cut the sinews of the rebellion. (It removed the rebellion’s power base.)