talus

1
[ tey-luhs ]
See synonyms for talus on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural ta·li [tey-lahy]. /ˈteɪ laɪ/. Anatomy.
  1. the uppermost bone of the proximal row of bones of the tarsus; anklebone.

Origin of talus

1
First recorded in 1685–95, talus is from the Latin word tālus ankle, anklebone, die. See tassel

Words Nearby talus

Other definitions for talus (2 of 2)

talus2
[ tey-luhs, tal-uhs ]

noun,plural ta·lus·es.
  1. a slope.

  2. Geology. a sloping mass of rocky fragments at the base of a cliff.

  1. Fortification. the slope of the face of a work.

Origin of talus

2
1635–45; <French: pseudo-learned alteration of Old French talu slope <Latin talūtium gold-bearing slope or talus (Vulgar Latin: slope), perhaps of Iberian origin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use talus in a sentence

  • Miss Hartwell looked from the office window to the great cliff that rose high above its steep, sloped talus.

    Blue Goose | Frank Lewis Nason
  • The Panamints towered a wrinkled red grisly mass, broken by rough canyons, with long declines of talus like brown glaciers.

British Dictionary definitions for talus (1 of 2)

talus1

/ (ˈteɪləs) /


nounplural -li (-laɪ)
  1. the bone of the ankle that articulates with the leg bones to form the ankle joint: Nontechnical name: anklebone

Origin of talus

1
C18: from Latin: ankle

British Dictionary definitions for talus (2 of 2)

talus2

/ (ˈteɪləs) /


nounplural -luses
  1. geology another name for scree

  2. fortifications the sloping side of a wall

Origin of talus

2
C17: from French, from Latin talūtium slope, perhaps of Iberian origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for talus (1 of 2)

talus1

[ ləs ]


Plural tali (lī′)
  1. The bone of the ankle that articulates with the tibia and fibula to form the ankle joint.

Scientific definitions for talus (2 of 2)

talus2

[ ləs ]


Plural taluses
  1. Rock fragments that have accumulated at the base of a cliff or slope.♦ The concave slope formed by such an accumulation of rock fragments is called a talus slope.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.