heartstring
noun
Did you know?
Heartstring Has a Medical History
Before a love song could tug at your heartstrings, the job was more likely to be accomplished by a surgeon: the word heartstring used to refer to a nerve believed to sustain the heart. You might recognize the word's second syllable in hamstring, which refers to both a group of tendons at the back of the knee and to any of three muscles at the backs of the upper legs. It's also apparent in a rare dialect term for the Achilles tendon: heel string. And in light of these terms, it's not surprising to know that string itself was at one time used independently to refer to bodily cords like tendons and ligaments.
Examples of heartstring in a Sentence
Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 25 June 2024
How the movie ending will tug on your heartstrings Is 'Hit Man' based on a true story?
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 23 May 2024
As the violin strings are softly plucked, so are our heartstrings.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 14 June 2024
Starting in the Midwest really pulls at my heartstrings.
—Kristine M. Kierzek, Journal Sentinel, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for heartstring 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heartstring.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near heartstring
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“Heartstring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartstring. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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heartstring
noun
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