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.

See Examples For:

Achilles tendon

Redden shockingly shared that Ingram is recovering from a partially torn Achilles tendon in addition to heel surgery.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

Tight end George Kittle, who sustained a torn right Achilles tendon last season, is expected to play.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

A lingering Achilles tendon injury has led Tuchel to manage his minutes carefully, but he is first choice.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Mar. 31, 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 Sir Douglas Mawson

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