tarsometatarsus

American  

[tahr-soh-met-uh-tahr-suhs] / ˌtɑr soʊˌmɛt əˈtɑr səs /

noun

Ornithology.

plural

tarsometatarsi

1. the large bone in the lower leg of a bird with which the toe bones articulate, formed by the fusion of tarsal and metatarsal bones.

---

tarsometatarsus British  

/ ˌtɑːsəʊˌmɛtəˈtɑːsəs /

noun

1. a bone in the lower part of a bird's leg consisting of the metatarsal bones and some of the tarsal bones fused together

---

Other Word Forms

• tarsometatarsal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of tarsometatarsus

First recorded in 1850–55; tarso- + metatarsus

Example Sentences

Named for a tarsometatarsus 29.6 mm long, it must have been a tiny turkey.

From Scientific American • Jan. 16, 2013

At the distal end of the tarsometatarsus the tendon is held against the medial surface of the first metatarsal by a straplike sheath.

From Myology and Serology of the Avian Family Fringillidae A Taxonomic Study by Stallcup, William B.

Action.—Flexes thigh; may flex crus also and may extend tarsometatarsus.

From Myology and Serology of the Avian Family Fringillidae A Taxonomic Study by Stallcup, William B.

Proximal end of left tarsometatarsus and the hypotarsus, × 4.

From Myology and Serology of the Avian Family Fringillidae A Taxonomic Study by Stallcup, William B.

The greater mass of the bipartite muscle probably makes possible a stronger extension of the tarsometatarsus.

From Myology and Serology of the Avian Family Fringillidae A Taxonomic Study by Stallcup, William B.