Etymology
Advertisement

tarsal (adj.)

"of or pertaining to the ankle or instep," 1817, from tarsus (n.) + -al (1), or from medical Latin tarsalis.

Entries linking to tarsal

tarsus (n.)
the ankle bones collectively, 1670s, Modern Latin, from Greek tarsos "ankle, sole of the foot, rim of the eyelid," originally "flat surface, especially for drying," from PIE root *ters- "to dry." The connecting notion is the bones of the "flat" of the foot (Greek tarsos podos).
-al (1)
suffix forming adjectives from nouns or other adjectives, "of, like, related to, pertaining to," Middle English -al, -el, from French or directly from Latin -alis (see -al (2)).
*ters- 
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to dry."

It forms all or part of: inter; Mediterranean; metatarsal; parterre; subterranean; tarsal; tarsus; Tartuffe; terra; terrace; terra-cotta; terrain; terran; terraqueous; terrarium; terrene; terrestrial; terrier; territory; thirst; toast; torrent; torrid; turmeric; tureen.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit tarsayati "dries up;" Avestan tarshu- "dry, solid;" Greek teresesthai "to become or be dry," tersainein "to make dry;" Latin torrere "dry up, parch," terra "earth, land;" Gothic þaursus "dry, barren," Old High German thurri, German dürr, Old English þyrre "dry;" Old English þurstig "thirsty."
Advertisement
Advertisement
Definitions of tarsal
1
tarsal (n.)
any bone of the tarsus;
Synonyms: tarsal bone
2
tarsal (adj.)
of or relating to or near the tarsus of the foot;
tarsal bones
From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near tarsal

tarpaulin

Tarpeian rock

tarpon

tarragon

tarry

tarsal

tarsus

tart

tartan

tartar

Tartar

© 2001-2022 Douglas Harper