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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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

See Examples For:

Achilles tendon

Kobe Bryant’s sneakers from the game in which he tore his Achilles tendon — and hit two free throws before he left the court — fetched $660,000.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

Ekitike made the biggest impact of the new signings until his season was cut short in April when he ruptured his Achilles tendon.

From BBC ● May 26, 2026

As he watched Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum roll on the floor gripping his ankle, O’Malley’s worst fear—and professional opinion—was that Tatum had torn his Achilles tendon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026

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

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026

Achilles tendon, the great tendon of the heel, where Achilles was vulnerable.

From The Nuttall Encyclopædia Being a Concise and Comprehensive Dictionary of General Knowledge by P. Austin Nuttall