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

metatarsal artery, metatarsalgia, metatarsectomy, metatarsophalangeal, metatarsophalangeal joint, metatarsus, metatarsus latus, metatarsus varus, metate, metathalamus, metatheory

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.