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• tarsus
  tarsus

  noun

  the bones of the proximal segment of the foot; the bones between the tibia and the metatarsus, contributing to the construction of the ankle joint.
• Tarsus
  Tarsus

  noun

  a city in S Turkey, near the Mediterranean, on the Cydnus River: important seaport of ancient Cilicia; birthplace of Saint Paul.

tarsus

¹ American  

[tahr-suhs] / ˈtɑr səs /

noun

• tarsi
  plural

1. Anatomy, Zoology. the bones of the proximal segment of the foot; the bones between the tibia and the metatarsus, contributing to the construction of the ankle joint.

2. the small plate of connective tissue along the border of an eyelid.

3. tarsometatarsus.

4. the distal part of the leg of an insect, usually subdivided in the adult into two to five segments.

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Tarsus ² American  

[tahr-suhs] / ˈtɑr səs /

noun

1. a city in S Turkey, near the Mediterranean, on the Cydnus River: important seaport of ancient Cilicia; birthplace of Saint Paul.

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tarsus ¹ British  

/ ˈtɑːsəs /

noun

1. the bones of the ankle and heel, collectively

2. 1. the corresponding part in other mammals and in amphibians and reptiles

   2. another name for tarsometatarsus

3. the dense connective tissue supporting the free edge of each eyelid

4. the part of an insect's leg that lies distal to the tibia

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Tarsus ² British  

/ ˈtɑːsəs /

noun

1. a city in SE Turkey, on the Tarsus River: site of ruins of ancient Tarsus, capital of Cilicia, and birthplace of St Paul. Pop: 231 000 (2005 est)

2. Ancient name: Cydnus.  a river in SE Turkey, in Cilicia, rising in the Taurus Mountains and flowing south past Tarsus to the Mediterranean. Length: 153 km (95 miles)

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tarsus Scientific  

/ tär′səs /

• tarsi
  plural

1. The group of seven bones lying between the leg and the metatarsals and forming part of the ankle.

2. The group of bones lying between the leg and metatarsals in the hind feet in some vertebrates, such as dinosaurs and birds.

3. A fibrous plate that supports and shapes the edge of the eyelid.

4. The lower part of the leg of an arthropod, usually divided into segments.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tarsi
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tarsus

1670–80; < New Latin < Greek tarsós flat of the foot

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tarsus Tarsus tarsi

Some are sturdy leather brogues with heels extending beyond the back of the shoe; others have tongues that take their licks at the ankles, leaving even the slimmest tarsus looking like a giant redwood.

From Time Magazine Archive

Bill shorter than the head, stout, straight, compressed; upper mandible expanding at the base and forming a disc on the forehead; toes entirely divided, bordered by a narrow entire membrane, middle toe longer than tarsus.

From British Birds in their Haunts by Rev. C. A. Johns

The tarsal fold is low and extends about half the length of the tarsus; the first and second fingers are subequal in length; the tibiotarsal articulation extends beyond the tip of the snout.

From A Distributional Study of the Amphibians of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico by William E. Duellman

Bill with an elevated tubercle at the base, depressed in the middle; nostrils large, pervious; lower portion of tarsus in front with a row of transverse scutellæ.

From British Birds in their Haunts by Rev. C. A. Johns

To the tarsus succeeds the metatarsus, whose form reminds us very much of that of the metacarpals.

From Artistic Anatomy of Animals by ?douard Cuyer

Tarsus American College announced the death of its graduates Mert Doğan, his wife Duygu, and their children Mavi and Doğan, as well as another graduate's grandson Ömür Kotan.

From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2025

This wasn’t really the plan, any more than Saul of Tarsus planned to become Paul the Apostle on the road to Damascus.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2023

Paul of Tarsus was on the road to Damascus when he got the call; Churchill heard Neville Chamberlain resign; Donald Trump rode down a gilded stairway.

From The New Yorker ● Dec. 15, 2015

On Friday hundreds of women gathered outside the courthouse in Tarsus, southern Turkey, calling for action to protect women.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 12, 2015

A Life of Fun and Frolic In Alexandria, Mark Antony and Cleopatra happily picked up where they had left off in Tarsus.

From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby

This force relies on the parasite’s highly adapted feet, called tarsi, which are equipped with toothed claws.

From Scientific American ● Mar. 31, 2022

Anterior and posterior surfaces of thighs, inner surfaces of shanks, and median dorsal surfaces of tarsi dark brown with blue spots.

From Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Smilisca by William E. Duellman

Bill strong; eyebrows naked, adorned with scarlet papillæ; tarsi feathered, without spurs; front toes naked, with pectinated margins; hind toe larger than the nail.

From British Birds in their Haunts by Rev. C. A. Johns

All species have some form of a pale stripe above the anus and usually rather distinct white or pale stripes along the ventrolateral edges of the tarsi and forearms.

From A Review of the Middle American Tree Frogs of the Genus Ptychohyla by William E. Duellman

The pampas are the special home of the Tæniopterinæ, or “Walking Tyrants” as Swainson called them, which have strong feet and long tarsi, and frequent open spaces.

From Argentine Ornithology, Volume I (of 2) A descriptive catalogue of the birds of the Argentine Republic. by W. H. (William Henry) Hudson

Related Words

• bone