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
1 American
[tahr-suhs]
/ ˈtɑr səs /
noun
-
tarsi
plural
-
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.
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the small plate of connective tissue along the border of an eyelid.
-
the distal part of the leg of an insect, usually subdivided in the adult into two to five segments.
Tarsus
2
American
[tahr-suhs]
/ ˈtɑr səs /
noun
tarsus
1
British
/ ˈtɑːsəs /
noun
-
the bones of the ankle and heel, collectively
-
-
the corresponding part in other mammals and in amphibians and reptiles
-
another name for tarsometatarsus
-
-
the dense connective tissue supporting the free edge of each eyelid
-
the part of an insect's leg that lies distal to the tibia
Tarsus
2
British
/ ˈtɑːsəs /
noun
-
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)
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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)
tarsus
Scientific
/ tär′səs /
-
tarsi
plural
-
The group of seven bones lying between the leg and the metatarsals and forming part of the ankle.
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The group of bones lying between the leg and metatarsals in the hind feet in some vertebrates, such as dinosaurs and birds.
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A fibrous plate that supports and shapes the edge of the eyelid.
-
The lower part of the leg of an arthropod, usually divided into segments.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tarsus
1670–80; < New Latin < Greek tarsós flat of the foot
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
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
The fleshy body which succeeds is directed towards the tarsus, but before reaching it is replaced by a tendon.
From Artistic Anatomy of Animals by ?douard Cuyer
Feet large, tarsus slender; fore toes long, united at base as far as first joint; claws moderate, but much curved; hind toe short, but with long curved claw.
From British Birds in their Haunts by Rev. C. A. Johns
Pal′ma, the palm: the enlarged proximal joint of the fore tarsus of a bee.—adjs.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various
Sustentac′ular, supporting, pertaining to a Sustentac′ulum, a support or sustaining tissue, esp. an inferior spine of the tarsus in spiders of the genus Epeira.—v.t.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various
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
Bruce includes an excerpt from the Apocalypse of Paul, an apocryphal third-century text that narrates a Revelation-style reverie experienced by Paul of Tarsus.
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 14, 2019
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
Mark Antony summoned Cleopatra to Tarsus to answer for her conduct.
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
Bill swollen at tip, convex; the upper mandible covered at the base with a soft membrane in which lie the nostrils, with a valve over them; tarsi covered fore and rear with hexagonal scales.
From British Birds in their Haunts by Rev. C. A. Johns
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
The legs are rather short, the feet stout, the tarsi reticulated, and the toes scutellated; the claws long and slightly curved.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 5 "Hinduism" to "Home, Earls of" by Various
Bill very long; edges of the upper mandible slightly prominent near the hook; tarsi half-feathered; claws unequal, grooved beneath; wings with the fourth primary longest; nostrils transverse, with bony margin all round.
From British Birds in their Haunts by Rev. C. A. Johns
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
