talus

¹

[ tey-luhs ]

noun

, Anatomy.

, plural ta·li [tey, -lahy].

1. the uppermost bone of the proximal row of bones of the tarsus; anklebone.

talus

²

[ tey-luhs, tal-uhs ]

noun

, plural ta·lus·es.

1. a slope.
2. Geology. a sloping mass of rocky fragments at the base of a cliff.
3. Fortification. the slope of the face of a work.

talus

¹

/ ˈteɪləs /

noun

1. the bone of the ankle that articulates with the leg bones to form the ankle joint Nontechnical nameanklebone

talus

²

/ ˈteɪləs /

noun

1. geology another name for scree
2. fortifications the sloping side of a wall

talus

¹

/ tā′ləs /

, Plural taluses

1. Rock fragments that have accumulated at the base of a cliff or slope.
2. ◆ The concave slope formed by such an accumulation of rock fragments is called a talus slope .

talus

²

/ tā′ləs /

, Plural tali tā′lī′

1. The bone of the ankle that articulates with the tibia and fibula to form the ankle joint.

Word History and Origins

Origin of talus¹

First recorded in 1685–95, talus is from the Latin word tālus ankle, anklebone, die. See tassel

Origin of talus²

1635–45; < French: pseudo-learned alteration of Old French talu slope < Latin talūtium gold-bearing slope or talus ( Vulgar Latin: slope), perhaps of Iberian origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of talus¹

C18: from Latin: ankle

Origin of talus²

C17: from French, from Latin talūtium slope, perhaps of Iberian origin

Example Sentences

The first four days featured very limited access points and the entire route required the “North Cascades’ finest bushwhacking,” glacier travel, snowfields, scree, boulder and talus fields, and scrambling.

From Seattle Times

A little past the halfway mark, the trail leaves the forest and climbs a talus slope, offering views of Whitehorse Mountain and Three Fingers.

From Seattle Times

What impresses is an improbable blend of escarpments, ravines, windblown crags and banks of talus, all on a plateau that rises abruptly from the surrounding countryside.

From Washington Post

Among these peaks, millennia of falling boulders have lodged in narrow canyons, creating underground spaces known as talus caves.

From Los Angeles Times

More than once, my front tire drifts into the talus, and I have to snap back to alertness to avoid catapulting down the scree.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• bluff
• cliff
• dune
• highland
• hillside
• hilltop
• ridge
• slope