Foot

The end of the leg on which a person normally stands and walks. The foot is a particularly complex structure made up of dozens of bones that work together with muscles and tendons to execute precise movements. The bones of the foot include the 10 metatarsal bones and the 28 phalanges (toe bones). The foot as a measure of length is 12 inches or a third of a yard or, metrically, 30.48 centimeters. The foot, along with the inch and the yard, are Old World creations to which the USA has stubbornly clung. The foot was originally the length of a man’s foot and served as a measurement of land. (Better to have had big feet when stepping off your land) The abbreviation for foot is ft.

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N.C., 20th century U.S. pathologist. See F. reticulin impregnation stain.

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foot 'fu̇t n, pl feet 'fēt also foot

1) the terminal part of the vertebrate leg upon which an individual stands

2) any of various units of length based on the length of the human foot esp a unit equal to 1/3 yard or 12 inches or 30.48 centimeters pl. foot used between a number and a noun <a 10-foot pole> pl. feet or foot used between a number and an adjective <6 feet tall>

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n.

the terminal organ of the lower limb. From a surgical point of view, the human foot comprises the seven bones of the tarsus, the five metatarsal bones, and the phalangeal bones plus the surrounding tissues; anatomically, the bones and tissues of the ankle are excluded.

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(foot) [A.S. fōt] 1. the distal portion of the lower limb, upon which an individual stands and walks. In humans it consists of the tarsus, metatarsus, and phalanges and the tissues encompassing them; other animals may use only part of the analogous structures for walking. Called also pes [TA]. 2. something resembling this structure. 3. a unit of linear measure, 12 inches, being the equivalent of 0.3048 meter. Abbreviated ft.

Inferior view of right foot.