tarsus

UK: /ˈtɑːsəs/ US: (tär′səs)

Inflections of 'tarsus' (n): npl: tarsi

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

tar•sus  (tär′səs), n., pl. -si (-sī, -sē). 

1. 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. See diag. under skeleton. 
2. Anatomy, Zoology the small plate of connective tissue along the border of an eyelid.
3. Birds tarsometatarsus.
4. Insects the distal part of the leg of an insect, usually subdivided in the adult into two to five segments. See diag. under coxa. 

• Greek tarsós flat of the foot
• Neo-Latin
• 1670–80

Tar•sus  (tär′səs), n. 

1. Place Names a city in S Turkey, near the Mediterranean, on the Cydnus River: important seaport of ancient Cilicia;
   birthplace of Saint Paul. 74,510.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

tarsus / ˈtɑːsəs/ noun ( -si / -saɪ/)

1. the bones of the ankle and heel, collectively
2. the corresponding part in other mammals and in amphibians and reptiles
3. the dense connective tissue supporting the free edge of each eyelid
4. the part of an insect's leg that lies distal to the tibia

Etymology: 17th Century: from New Latin, from Greek tarsos flat surface, instep

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Tarsus / ˈtɑːsəs/ noun

1. 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)
2. 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)
   Ancient name: Cydnus