astragalus Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun large genus of annual or perennial herbs or shrubs of north temperate regions; largest genus in the family Leguminosae
    genus Astragalus.
  2. noun the bone in the ankle that articulates with the leg bones to form the ankle joint
    talus; astragal; anklebone.

WordNet

As*trag"a*lus noun
Etymology
L. See Astragal.
Definitions
  1. (Anat.) The ankle bone, or hock bone; the bone of the tarsus which articulates with the tibia at the ankle.
  2. (Bot.) A genus of papilionaceous plants, of the tribe Galegeæ, containing numerous species, two of which are called, in English, milk vetch and licorice vetch. Gum tragacanth is obtained from different oriental species, particularly the A. gummifer and A. verus.
  3. (Arch.) See Astragal, 1.

Webster 1913