tarsus
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
tarsus /ˈtɑːsəs/
▶noun (pl. tarsi /-sʌɪ, -siː/)
- 1 Anatomy the group of small bones between the main part of the hindlimb and the metatarsus, forming the ankle and upper foot in humans.
■ Zoology the shank of the leg of a bird or reptile.
■ Zoology the foot or fifth leg joint of an insect or other arthropod, typically ending in a claw.
- 2 Anatomy a thin sheet of fibrous connective tissue supporting the edge of the eyelid.
– origin ME: mod. L., from Gk tarsos ‘flat of the foot, the eyelid’.
'tarsus' also found in these Oxford entries:
