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Achilles tendon

American  
Or Achilles' tendon

noun

Anatomy.

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

Achilles tendon British  

noun

  1. 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  

  1. 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 suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon in March 2025 and underwent back surgery last October.

From Barron's

Woods has been recovering from rupturing an Achilles tendon in March 2025 and back surgery in October.

From BBC

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

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

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

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.