hamstringPronunciation: /ˈhamstrɪŋ/Translate hamstring | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish Definition of hamstring noun any of five tendons at the back of a person’s knee:he pulled a hamstring the great tendon at the back of a quadruped’s hock. verb (past and past participle hamstrung) [with object] cripple (a person or animal) by cutting their hamstrings. severely restrict the efficiency or effectiveness of:we were hamstrung by a total lack of knowledgeOrigin: 16th century: from ham1 + stringhamstring in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of hamstring in the US English dictionary