ankle
Americannoun
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(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.
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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
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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:
He sustained a fractured right fibula and tibia, a displaced ankle and torn ligaments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
His films are designed to be all-consuming experiences, opening in media res, grabbing the viewer by the ankle and dragging them into action already in progress.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
The Sparks have been the worst defensive team in the league this season and struggled to score when point guard Kelsey Plum was out of the lineup with an ankle injury.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
She said she would challenge her guilty verdict and sentence in France's highest court and, before it ruled on her case, she wouldn't be wearing an ankle tag.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
DeShon, trying to keep weight off his sprained ankle, looks at the ground instead of me.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
He then allegedly jumped out of a window and broke both ankles before being detained by police nearby.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
Hyaline cartilage is smooth and slippery, allowing joints such as the knees, hips, shoulders, and ankles to move freely.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026
The stand-out villain of “The Furious,” a bald bruiser played by Orange County-born Brian Le, moves like an 8-bit video game brute, wobbling his ankles before he falls down and goes boom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
The press is full of uninformed speculation about bruises on his hands and puffy ankles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
And that’s when I ended up here, with freezing water sloshing around my ankles as I shiver with cold.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
