Achilles tendon

American  

Or Achilles' tendon

noun

Anatomy.

1. the tendon joining the calf muscles to the heel bone.

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Achilles tendon British  

noun

1. the fibrous cord that connects the muscles of the calf to the heelbone

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Achilles tendon Cultural  

1. A tendon connecting the heel bone with the calf muscle of the leg.

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Discover More

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

Woods, who turned 50 last December, has been working to return from an Achilles tendon rupture last March and back surgery last October.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Following severe leg injuries in a 2021 car crash, the American had a back operation in September 2024 and then suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon last March.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

I was ready to crawl the rest of the way in to finish the stage if I had to, but a torn hamstring or Achilles tendon would end my race.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 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

Finally, after making laborious headway to two thousand feet, Kennedy strained his Achilles tendon and I decided to return to "The Grottoes."

From The Home of the Blizzard Being the Story of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914 by Mawson, Douglas, Sir