Definition of tarsus

< tarsometatarsus

Tarsus >

tar·sus    (tärss) KEY 

NOUN:
pl. tar·si  (-s, -s) KEY 

1. 1. The section of the vertebrate foot between the leg and the metatarsus.
   2. The bones making up this section, especially the seven small bones of the human ankle.
2. A fibrous plate that supports and shapes the edge of the eyelid. Also called tarsal plate.
3. Zoology
   1. The tarsometatarsus.
   2. The distal part of the leg of an arthropod, usually divided into segments.

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ETYMOLOGY:
New Latin, from Greek tarsos, ankle; see ters- in Indo-European roots