Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

hallux

American  
[hal-uhks] / ˈhæl əks /

noun

Anatomy, Zoology.
halluces plural
  1. the first or innermost digit of the foot of humans and other primates or of the hind foot of other mammals; great toe; big toe.

  2. the comparable, usually backward-directed digit in birds.


hallux British  
/ ˈhæləks /

noun

  1. the first digit on the hind foot of a mammal, bird, reptile, or amphibian; the big toe of man

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of hallux

1825–35; < Late Latin ( h ) allux, for Latin hallus, by association with pollex thumb

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:

“This would allow me to treat refugees with minor disabilities, flat feet or hallux valgus toes, or people with diabetes who need soft soles,” he said.

From New York Times Aug. 27, 2021

And not just because you can go to the doctor and tell her that the distal phalanx of your hallux hurts like hell after you accidentally closed a door on your foot.

From Slate Aug. 31, 2015

These enlarged foot claws and mobile hallux suggest that Balaur might have have been good at climbing and perching.

From Scientific American Jun. 20, 2015

Its feet are only superficially human-like, the enlarged, only semi-divergent hallux and broad heel representing strong terrestrial specialisation in a primate that started its terrestrial career with a typical hominid foot like that of orangutans.

From Scientific American Aug. 4, 2013

All toes webbed, fourth largest, hallux short; metatarsus laterally compressed; tibia with high, pyramidal crest.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 7 "Bible" to "Bisectrix" by Various

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training