The hamstring is one of the strong muscles or tendons at the back of your thigh that help you bend your knee and move your leg. People often talk about “pulling a hamstring” when they injure this area during sports.
From “ham,” an old word for the back of the knee or thigh, and “string,” referring to the tendonlike cords. Originally it named the tendon that, if cut, crippled an animal.
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