Etymology

Achilles tendon

Today it means: The strong tendon formed of the united tendons of the large muscles in the calf of the leg, and inserted into the bone of the heel. Full definition →

New Latin tendo Achillis
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The story

  1. New Latin · calque oftendo Achillis
  2. English todayAchilles tendon

Calque of New Latin tendo Achillis, in reference to the mythological account of Achilles being held by the heel when dipped in the River Styx. Its coinage has been attributed to Dutch anatomist Philip Verheyden in 1693, but the term is first attested in 1684.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.