tarsus Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the part of the foot of a vertebrate between the metatarsus and the leg; in human beings the bones of the ankle and heel collectively

WordNet

Tar"sus noun
Etymology
NL., fr. Gr. the flat of the foot, the edge of the eyelid. Cf. 2d Tarse.
Wordforms
plural Tarsi
Definitions
  1. (Anat.) (a) The ankle; the bones or cartilages of the part of the foot between the metatarsus and the leg, consisting in man of seven short bones. (b) A plate of dense connective tissue or cartilage in the eyelid of man and many animals; -- called also tarsal cartilage, and tarsal plate.
  2. (Zoöl.) The foot of an insect or a crustacean. It usually consists of form two to five joints.

Webster 1913