talus

1 of 2

noun (1)

ta·​lus ˈtā-ləs How to pronounce talus (audio) ˈta- How to pronounce talus (audio)
1
: a slope formed especially by an accumulation of rock debris
2
: rock debris at the base of a cliff

talus

2 of 2

noun (2)

ta·​lus ˈtā-ləs How to pronounce talus (audio)
plural tali ˈtā-ˌlī How to pronounce talus (audio)
1
: the human tarsal bone that bears the weight of the body and that together with the tibia and fibula forms the ankle joint
2
: the entire ankle

Examples of talus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Getting there isn’t a walk in the park: the trek to get there, known as the approach, involves navigating talus fields and steep passages that may be blanketed in snow. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2024 The procedure, a subtalar fusion, is meant to address his previous talus fracture, according to Woods. Josh Peter, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2023 The valley’s higher altitude terrain is comparable to running the boulder or talus fields of a Colorado fourteener. Morgan Tilton, Outside Online, 1 Aug. 2017 The most common bones in the feet and lower leg to experience stress fractures are the navicular, talus, tibia and fibula. Philip Anloague, Fortune Well, 21 Apr. 2023 For example, your anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) connects the front of your fibula and your talus. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2023 In Slick Rock Canyon, visitors once scrambled up a steep talus slope to access a cliff dwelling, damaging artifacts scattered below the site. Zak Podmore, The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 Oct. 2022 My objective, the peak’s Southwest Ridge, rises in a mass of sharp talus punctuated with gendarmes and outcroppings. Outside Online, 21 Sep. 2022 After watching a bunting dive into the talus at a specific location, the researchers would feed the borescope into the rubble labyrinth to light up and view the nests. Jake Buehler, Discover Magazine, 4 Feb. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'talus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

French, from Middle French, probably from Vulgar Latin *talutum side, slope; akin to Latin talutium slope indicating presence of gold under the soil

Noun (2)

New Latin, from Latin

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1645, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of talus was in 1578

Dictionary Entries Near talus

Cite this Entry

“Talus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/talus. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

talus

noun
ta·​lus
ˈtā-ləs
: a pile of rocks broken off from and found at the base of a cliff or steep slope

Medical Definition

talus

noun
ta·​lus ˈtā-ləs How to pronounce talus (audio)
plural tali ˈtā-ˌlī How to pronounce talus (audio)
1
: the human astragalus that bears the weight of the body and together with the tibia and fibula forms the ankle joint

called also anklebone

2
: the entire ankle

More from Merriam-Webster on talus

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