tarsometatarsus

American  

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

noun

Ornithology.

tarsometatarsi plural

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• tarsometatarsal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tarsometatarsi
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tarsometatarsus

First recorded in 1850–55; tarso- + metatarsus

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tarsometatarsus

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

From Scientific American ● Jan. 16, 2013

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.

The tendon crosses over to the medial surface of the tarsometatarsus, passes distally, and perforates the sheathlike tendon of the m. flexor hallucis brevis between the first metatarsal and the trochlea for digit II.

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

This tendon seems to be continuous with a fascia which forms a sheath around the posterior surface of the tarsometatarsus holding the other tendons of this region firmly in the posterior sulcus.

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

The tendon continues along the anterior surface of the tarsometatarsus to a point immediately above the bases of the toes and there gives rise to three branches, one to the anterior surface of each foretoe.

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