ankle
Americannoun
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ankles
plural
-
(in humans) the joint between the foot and the leg, in which movement occurs in two planes.
-
the corresponding joint in a quadruped or bird; hock.
-
the slender part of the leg above the foot.
noun
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the joint connecting the leg and the foot See talus 1
-
the part of the leg just above the foot
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of ankle
First recorded before 1000; partly from Middle English ankel, enkel, ankyl, cognate with Middle Low German, Dutch enkel, Old Frisian ankel, Old High German anchal, enchil, Old Norse ǫkkul (from unrecorded ankula); partly from Middle English anclowe, oncleou, Old English anclēow, onclēow, cognate with Middle Low German anclef, Dutch anklāw, Old High German anchlāo; akin to Latin angulus “corner, angle,” Greek ankúlos “bent, crooked,” and ankṓn “bend of the arm, elbow”
Explanation
Your ankle connects your lower leg to your foot. The ankle is a joint that bends and swivels. The ankle is actually a fairly complicated part of your body, officially including three separate joints that make it possible to bend your legs, jump, run, and walk. The major bone in your ankle is called a talus, and it's the one at the very top of your foot. In Old English, it was ancleow, from a root word meaning "to bend," a root it shares with the word angle.
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:
Freeman had been playing with a bad ankle for three weeks, and even then he had been more productive that October than Ohtani has been in this one.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
But a plan to cover the Slovenian's initial absence by using Mbeumo as a number nine had to be scrapped when Amad Diallo suffered an ankle injury just before the opening game at Hull.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
"So much work and effort have been put into achieving this goal, especially after coming back from the ankle injury. I look forward to finishing the season in style," he added.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Chargers right tackle Rashawn Slater could be a candidate for injured reserve after sustaining a high ankle sprain against the Seattle Seahawks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
“Um...I’m not sure. My ankle doesn’t feel great.”
From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée
Hyaline cartilage is smooth and slippery, allowing bones to move against one another with very little friction in joints such as the ankles, hips, shoulders and parts of the knee.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
As well as broken or uneven steps, weak ankles or knees and inappropriate footwear, a variety of other factors can lead to falls, the CDC says.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
“There’s indecision, and catching a baseball at your ankles kind of speaks to where his head is at right now,” Roberts said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
On a beach in southern Romania, a few metres from the Danube shore, a boy sloshed his bare feet through water that only reached up to his ankles.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
We dribble and pass and dribble and pass while Coach barks: “Keep the ball low. You know that joint between your ankles and your hips? Those are your knees, Hooperman. Bend them!”
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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