metatarsal

American  

[met-uh-tahr-suhl] / ˌmɛt əˈtɑr səl /

adjective

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

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noun

1. a bone in the metatarsus.

metatarsal British  

/ ˌmɛtəˈtɑːsəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the metatarsus

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noun

1. any bone of the metatarsus

metatarsal Scientific  

/ mĕt′ə-tär′səl /

1. 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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Other Word Forms

• intermetatarsal adjective
• metatarsally adverb

Etymology

Origin of metatarsal

First recorded in 1730–40; meta- + tarsal

Example Sentences

He flexes his metatarsal bones to indicate where he wants a subordinate to sit.

From Salon

Just months before the 2006 World Cup, the former Manchester United forward once again fractured a metatarsal bone in the same foot.

From BBC

His left knee is the most important body part in British sport since David Beckham's metatarsal.

From BBC

A joint that is becoming cricket's version of David Beckham's metatarsal and will be cut open, hopefully fixed and sealed back up by the end of next week.

From BBC

Madrid said exams showed that the France player has “an incomplete stress fracture in the second metatarsal of the left foot.”

From Washington Times