1
: the part of the foot of a vertebrate between the metatarsus and the leg
also
: the small bones that support this part of the foot and include bones of the ankle, heel, and arch
2
: the tarsal plate of the eyelid
3
: the distal part of the limb of an arthropod
4
Examples of tarsus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
It can be easily controlled to perform a gripping motion akin to an insect tarsus (i.e., wrapping around the object) for handling various objects.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 19 May 2023
Meanwhile, wing length showed a mean increase of 1.3%, with the species showing the fastest declines in tarsus length also showing the most rapid gains in wing length.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 4 Dec. 2019
The scientists measured the birds’ overall body size, body mass, wingspan and the length of a lower leg bone known as the tarsus, which shrank by 2.4 percent across species.
—NBC News, 5 Dec. 2019
In particular, the length of the tarsus or lower leg bone, shrank by 2.4%.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 4 Dec. 2019
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IEEE Spectrum, 19 May 2023
Meanwhile, wing length showed a mean increase of 1.3%, with the species showing the fastest declines in tarsus length also showing the most rapid gains in wing length.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 4 Dec. 2019
The scientists measured the birds’ overall body size, body mass, wingspan and the length of a lower leg bone known as the tarsus, which shrank by 2.4 percent across species.
—NBC News, 5 Dec. 2019
In particular, the length of the tarsus or lower leg bone, shrank by 2.4%.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 4 Dec. 2019
Dictionary Entries Near tarsus
Cite this Entry
“Tarsus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tarsus. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tarsus
noun
tar·sus
ˈtär-səs 
plural tarsi
-ˌsī
-ˌsē
1
: the part of the foot of a vertebrate between the metatarsus and the leg
also
: the small bones that support this part of the foot and include bones of the ankle, heel, and arch
2
: the lower and longest part of a bird's leg
3
: the part of the limb of an arthropod (as an insect) most distant from the body
Medical Definition
tarsus
noun
tar·sus
ˈtär-səs
1
: the part of the foot of a vertebrate between the metatarsus and the leg
also
: the small bones supporting this part of the limb that include the three cuneiform bones and the cuboid in a distal row and the navicular, calcaneus, and talus in a proximal row
2
Geographical Definition
Tarsus
geographical name
Tar·sus
ˈtär-səs
city in southern Turkey near the Cilician Gates population 187,508
Note: Tarsus was the capital of ancient Cilicia.
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