Achilles tendon
Americannoun
noun
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In Greek legend, the hero Achilles could be wounded only in the heel.
Etymology
Origin of Achilles tendon
First recorded in 1900–05
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Woods has been recovering from rupturing an Achilles tendon in March 2025 and back surgery in October.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
He suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon in March 2025 and underwent back surgery last October.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
The star forward, who is rehabilitating from an Achilles tendon tear suffered in the playoffs last June, and has lately been practicing with the team, continues to sit out real action.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026
“I came out here excited to do it,” said Lillard, a nine-time All-Star who is sitting out this season after surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon last April.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026
Achilles tendon, the great tendon of the heel, where Achilles was vulnerable.
From The Nuttall Encyclopædia Being a Concise and Comprehensive Dictionary of General Knowledge by Nuttall, P. Austin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.