metatarsus

[ met-uh-tahr-suh s ]

/ ˌmɛt əˈtɑr səs /

noun, plural met·a·tar·si [met-uh-tahr-sahy] /ˌmɛt əˈtɑr saɪ/. Anatomy, Zoology.

the part of a foot or hind limb, especially its bony structure, included between the tarsus and the toes or phalanges.

Nearby words

Origin of metatarsus

From New Latin, dating back to 1670–80; see origin at meta-, tarsus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for metatarsus

Met a tar' sal, one of the bones of the metatarsus, between the ankle and the toes.
A Guide for the Study of Animals|Worrallo Whitney
Soles of fore-feet and terminal portion of those of hind-pair naked; under surface of metatarsus clothed with hair.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 4|Various
The calamistrum is very short, and near the base of the fourth metatarsus, where it can easily be seen.
The Common Spiders of the United States|James Henry Emerton
The soles of the feet are covered with hairs upon the tarsus and metatarsus.
The Cambridge Natural History, Vol X., Mammalia|Frank Evers Beddard

(b) a middle row called respectively the metacarpus and metatarsus.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for metatarsus

metatarsus

/ (ˌmɛtəˈtɑːsəs) /

noun plural -si (-saɪ)

the skeleton of the human foot between the toes and the tarsus, consisting of five long bones

the corresponding skeletal part in other vertebrates

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

Medicine definitions for metatarsus

metatarsus

[ mĕt′ə-tär′səs ]

n. pl. met•a•tar•si (-sī, -sē)

The middle part of the foot that forms the instep and includes the five bones between the toes and ankle.