Tendon, Achilles

Tendon, Achilles
A tough sinew that attaches the calf muscle to the back of the heel bone. The Achilles tendon is one of the longest tendons in the body. It is also formally called the tendo Achilles or the tendo calcaneus, the calcaneus being the heel bone. According to Greek mythology, Achilles’s mother held him as a baby by the heel and dipped him in the river Styx to make him invulnerable but the heel by which she held him remained unimmersed and hence vulnerable, as Paris’ arrow in Achilles’ heel later proved.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • TENDON ACHILLES —    name given to the tendon of the leg above the heel, so called as being the tendon by which Thetis held Achilles when she dipped him in the Styx, and where alone he was in consequence vulnerable …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Tendon — For other uses, see Tendon (disambiguation). Tendon One such tendon in the Human Body, the Achilles tendon. Latin tendo Cod …   Wikipedia

  • Achilles (disambiguation) — Achilles is the name of the Greek mythological hero of the Trojan War.Achilles may also refer to: * Achilles (play), a trilogy of plays written by the Greek tragedian Aeschylus Science and technology * Achilles tendon, a posterior tendon of the… …   Wikipedia

  • Achilles tendon — n. the tendon connecting the back of the heel to the muscles of the calf: also written Achilles tendon …   English World dictionary

  • Achilles' tendon — A*chil les ten don, n. [L. Achillis tendo.] (Anat.) The strong tendon formed of the united tendons of the large muscles in the calf of the leg, an inserted into the bone of the heel; so called from the mythological account of Achilles being held… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Achilles tendon — from Mod.L. tendo Achillis, first used by German surgeon Heister and so called in reference to the one vulnerable spot of the great Greek hero ACHILLES (Cf. Achilles), whose mother held him by the heel when she dipped him in the River Styx to… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Achilles' tendon — Achilles heel, Achilles tendon Use an apostrophe in both expressions for consistency, even though the connection with Achilles is remote in the second …   Modern English usage

  • tendon of Achilles — tendon of Achil·les ə kil ēz n ACHILLES TENDON …   Medical dictionary

  • Achilles tendon — ► NOUN ▪ the tendon connecting calf muscles to the heel …   English terms dictionary

  • Achilles Heel — may refer to:* Achilles heel, a metaphor for a fatal weakness in spite of overall strength * Achilles Heel (band), a band from New York state * Achilles Heel (album), an album by Pedro the Lion * Achilles tendon …   Wikipedia

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