Achilles tendon

American

Or Achilles' tendon

noun

Anatomy.

the tendon joining the calf muscles to the heel bone.

Achilles tendon British

noun

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

"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

Achilles tendon Cultural

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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He missed all of the PGA season last year as he recovered from a 2024 back surgery and surgery in March 2025 for a ruptured Achilles tendon.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

He suffered severe leg injuries in a 2021 car crash before undergoing a back operation in September 2024 and suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon last March.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

Achilles tendon pain, tennis elbow, swimmer's shoulder, and jumper's knee affect both young athletes and older adults.

From Science Daily • Feb. 12, 2026

Portland's Damian Lillard, who has not played all season while recovering from a torn left Achilles tendon, will return in next weekend's NBA Three-Point Contest, the league announced on Sunday.

From Barron's • Feb. 8, 2026

In Holden's "Landmarks" we are told that the operation of dividing the Achilles tendon was first performed by an unfortunate upon himself, by means of a razor.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023