tarsus
See also: Tarsle
English
Etymology
Borrowed from New Latin tarsus.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈtɑː.səs/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈtɑɹ.səs/
- Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)səs
Noun
tarsus (plural tarsi)
- (anatomy, zootomy) The part between the main part of the hindlimb and the metatarsus in terrestrial vertebrates.
- (anatomy) A group of small bones in this part of the foot. The seven bones of the human tarsus form the ankle and upper part of the foot.
- Hyponyms: talus, calcaneus, navicular bone, cuboid bone, lateral cuneiform bone, intermediate cuneiform bone, medial cuneiform bone
- (zootomy) The shank or tarsometatarsus of the leg of a bird or reptile.
- 2020, Tim Ecott, The Land of Maybe, Short Books 2021, p. 99:
- On the ledge, the guillemots shuffle awkwardly about on their tarsi, the long bone connecting the ‘ankle’ to the feet.
- 2020, Tim Ecott, The Land of Maybe, Short Books 2021, p. 99:
- (zootomy) The true foot or the fifth joint of the leg of an insect or other arthropod, typically consisting of several small segments and ending in a claw.
- (anatomy) A group of small bones in this part of the foot. The seven bones of the human tarsus form the ankle and upper part of the foot.
- (anatomy) A plate of dense connective tissue found in each eyelid, attached to either the superior tarsal muscle (in the upper eyelid) or inferior tarsal muscle (lower eyelid), which aid with sympathetic control.
Derived terms
- apicotarsus
- basitarsus
- distitarsus
- epitarsus
- foretarsus
- hypotarsus
- mesotarsus
- metatarsus
- pretarsus
- protarsus
- tarsal
- telotarsus
- tibiotarsus
Related terms
- acrotarsium
- tarsometatarsus
Translations
the part of the foot between the main part of the hindlimb and the metatarsus
|
any of the seven bones in this part of the foot
|
References
- “tarsus”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- “tarsus”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Anagrams
- Asturs, Rastus, Straus, Surats, Sūtras, surats, sutras, sūtras, tussar
Latin
Etymology
Borrowed from Ancient Greek τᾰρσός (tarsós, “the flat of the foot; the edge of the eyelid and its lashes”). Has been compared with Armenian թառ (tʿaṙ, “bar for drying grapes”), Old High German darra (“apparatus for drying fruits”), Swedish tarre (“frame for drying malts”), suggesting a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *ters- (“to dry”). However, for phonetic reasons this is uncertain.
Pronunciation
- (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈtar.sus/, [ˈt̪ärsus]
Noun
tarsus m (genitive tarsī); second declension (New Latin)
- (anatomy) The flat part of the foot.
- (anatomy) The edge of the eyelid.
Inflection
Second-declension noun.
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nominative | tarsus | tarsī |
Genitive | tarsī | tarsōrum |
Dative | tarsō | tarsīs |
Accusative | tarsum | tarsōs |
Ablative | tarsō | tarsīs |
Vocative | tarse | tarsī |
Derived terms
- tarsālis (adjective)
Descendants
- → English: tarsus