metatarsal

[ met-uh-tahr-suhl ]

adjective

of or relating to the metatarsus, the part of the foot that includes the bones between the ankle and toes.

noun

a bone in the metatarsus.

Origin of metatarsal

First recorded in 1730–40; meta- + tarsal

Other words from metatarsal

met·a·tar·sal·ly, adverb
in·ter·met·a·tar·sal, adjective

Words Nearby metatarsal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use metatarsal in a sentence

All specimens from Arteaga have two palmar tubercles; the inner and outer metatarsal tubercles are subequal in size.
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacn, Mxico | William E. Duellman
There is no evidence of a pulley joint between the metatarsal and the adjacent phalange.
Dragons of the Air | H. G. Seeley
The most common site is over the articulation of the metatarsal bone with the phalanx of the first or last toe.
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin | Henry Weightman Stelwagon
The fore-feet have four complete toes (fig. 3, a), but there are only three hind-toes, with a rudiment of the fifth metatarsal.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 7 | Various
The five digits of the foot each consist of a metatarsal and of a certain number of phalanges.
The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for metatarsal

metatarsal

/ (ˌmɛtəˈtɑːsəl) anatomy /

adjective

of or relating to the metatarsus

noun

any bone of the metatarsus

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

Scientific definitions for metatarsal

metatarsal

[ mĕt′ə-tär′səl ]

Any of the bones of the feet in humans or the back feet in animals that are located between the tarsal bones and the phalanges.

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