a wasting of the shoulder muscles of a horse, esp as the result of a nerve injury
Word origin
C19: probably from German dialect Schweine emaciation, atrophy
sweeny in American English
(ˈswini)
US
noun
atrophy of the shoulder muscles of horses
Word origin
altered (prob. via PaGer schwinne) < Ger dial. schweine, atrophy < schweinen, to atrophy, shrink < OHG suinan, to decrease, akin to ON svina, to disappear < IE base *swi-, to disappear, decrease