Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of, relating to, or situated near the tarsus of the foot.
  • adjective Of or relating to the tarsus of the eyelid.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Of or pertaining to the tarsus, ankle, or instep of the foot: correlated with carpal: as, tarsal bones; tarsal articulations.
  • Of or pertaining to the tarsometatarsus of a bird, commonly called the tarsus, between the heel and the bases of the toes: as, the tarsal envelop; tarsal scutella.
  • Of or pertaining to the last segment of an insect's leg: as, tarsal joints; tarsal claws.
  • Of or pertaining to the tarsi of the eyelids: as, tarsal cartilages; the tarsal muscle.
  • Heteromera, having the four anterior tarsi five-jointed and the two posterior four-jointed;
  • Tetramera, having four joints to all the tarsi;
  • Trimera, having three joints to all the tarsi.
  • To these Latreille added Dimera, having two joints to all the tarsi, and
  • Monomera, having but a single tarsal joint in each foot. Some of these divisions are now known to have rested on imperfect observations, and all are subject to exceptions among closely allied species; hence the tarsal system has been generally abandoned or modified, though in many respects it approached a natural classification, and, admitting the exceptions, the divisions can still be used with advantage. Its convenience is such that attempts have also been made to retain it, in its general features, with substitution of other names intended to correct the early imperfect observations, as Cryptopentamera, Pseudotetramera, Subpentamera, etc.; and the adjectives derived from all these terms, as pentamerous, heteromerous, etc., are regularly used in describing beetles and their tarsi.
  • noun A tarsal bone (or cartilage); one of the elements of the tarsus of the foot, intervening between the tibia and the metatarsus; especially, a tarsale. See tarsus.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Zoöl.), obsolete Same as tercel.
  • adjective (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the tarsus (either of the foot or eye).
  • adjective (Med.) an eruptive disease of the edges of the eyelids; a kind of bleareye.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective anatomy Of or relating to the tarsus.
  • noun anatomy Any of the seven bones of the tarsus.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun any bone of the tarsus
  • adjective of or relating to or near the tarsus of the foot

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[New Latin tarsālis, from tarsus, tarsus; see tarsus.]

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Examples

  • The computer models also revealed that Cryptomartus hindi's mouth appendages, called pedipalps, had tiny 'tarsal' claws attached at the end to help the creature to manipulate its prey.

    unknown title 2009

  • I usually sqirt a drop or two on the front and back of my boots, and a few drops on a wick around the stand. i never used the buck pee though. i have used a couple of tarsal glands from a buck that my friend killed. had small buck circle the tree i hung it from a couple times.

    When to use What deer pee? 2009

  • If someone harvest a buck go out and cut the tarsal gands from the hind hocks, I would suggest using disposalable gloves and a zip lock baggy to hold your bounty.

    Deer Actractants 2010

  • If someone harvest a buck go out and cut the tarsal gands from the hind hocks, I would suggest using disposalable gloves and a zip lock baggy to hold your bounty.

    Deer Actractants 2010

  • When the ball of the foot is on the ground and the medial longitudinal arch of the foot is supported by an arch support in their baseball shoes, the mid tarsal and subtalar joints will be stable and not collapse.

    Dr. Steve Rosenberg: Get in Athletic Position... Balls on the Ground! Dr. Steve Rosenberg 2011

  • I use code blue - tarsal on a few and doe urine on a few, now sit back and enjoy the show!

    what is the best attractant that *you* use for deer hunting? 2009

  • I usually sqirt a drop or two on the front and back of my boots, and a few drops on a wick around the stand. i never used the buck pee though. i have used a couple of tarsal glands from a buck that my friend killed. had small buck circle the tree i hung it from a couple times.

    When to use What deer pee? 2009

  • I use code blue - tarsal on a few and doe urine on a few, now sit back and enjoy the show!

    what is the best attractant that *you* use for deer hunting? 2009

  • Though they walked upright and had hands like men, their ankles, or tarsal joints, were the hocks of quadru - ped animals with cloven hooves.

    Stalling 2010

  • However, one suspects that the efforts reulting in hamstring problem are a result of being hamstrung, by stubborn pride. “get thee behind, tarsal.”

    Cheeseburger Gothic » Traps for old players. 2009

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