Sinew
Sinew , noun
[Old English sinewe, senewe, Anglo-Saxon sinu, seonu; akin to Dutch zenuw, Old High German senawa, German sehne, Icelandic sin, Swedish sena, Danish sene; compare Sanskrit snāva. r290.]
1.
(Anatomy) A tendon or tendonous tissue. See Tendon.
2.
Muscle; nerve. [Rare] — Sir J. Davies
3.
Figuratively: That which supplies strength or power.
The portion and sinew of her fortune, her marriage dowry.
The bodies of men, munition, and money, may justly be called the sinews of war.
Money alone is often called the sinews of war.
Sinew , transitive verb
To knit together, or make strong with, or as with, sinews. — Shakespeare
Wretches, now stuck up for long tortures... might, if properly treated, serve to sinew the state in time of danger.