Achilles tendon

US/əˈkɪliːz tɛndən/

noun

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.

Similar
calcaneal tendontendo Achillistendo calcaneustendon of Achilles
OriginNew Latin tendo Achillis →
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Meanings

nounAchilles tendon (plural Achilles tendons)

plural Achilles tendons · alternative Achilles' tendon · alternative tendon of Achilles

  1. anatomyThe 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.

    Superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who ruptured his left Achilles tendon just four snaps into his New York Jets career, has written off this season as a “lost year,” though he feels he can “play more years” in the NFL.

    2023 December 20, Sam Joseph, “Aaron Rodgers writes off this season as ‘lost year,’ but quarterback says he feels ‘I can play more years’ in NFL”, in CNN

    Synonyms: calcaneal tendon, tendo Achillis, tendo calcaneus

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe 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.

Similar
calcaneal tendontendo Achillistendo calcaneus

More synonyms by meaning

nouna large tendon that runs from the heel to the calf

Similar
tendon of Achilles
Broader
tendonsinew

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. New Latintendo Achillis
  2. EnglishAchilles 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.

More words from New Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic وَتَر أَخِيل, عُرْقُوب
  • وَتَر أَخِيل (watar ʔaḵīl)strong tendon in the calf of the leg
  • عُرْقُوب (ʕurqūb)strong tendon in the calf of the leg
Bulgarian ахилесово сухожилие
  • ахилесово сухожилие (ahilesovo suhožilie)strong tendon in the calf of the leg
Catalan tendó d'Aquil·les
  • tendó d'Aquil·lesstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Chinese Mandarin 跟腱
  • 跟腱 (gēnjiàn)strong tendon in the calf of the leg
Czech Achillova šlacha
  • Achillova šlachastrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Danish akillessene
  • akillessenestrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Dutch achillespees
  • achillespeesstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Esperanto aĥila tendeno
  • aĥila tendenostrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Finnish akillesjänne
  • akillesjännestrong tendon in the calf of the leg
French tendon d’Achille
  • tendon d’Achillestrong tendon in the calf of the leg
German Achillessehne
  • Achillessehnestrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Greek αχίλλειος τένοντας
  • αχίλλειος τένοντας (achílleios ténontas)strong tendon in the calf of the leg
Hungarian Achilles-ín
  • Achilles-ínstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Icelandic hásin
  • hásinstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Indonesian tendon achilles
  • tendon achillesstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Italian tendine di Achille
  • tendine di Achillestrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Japanese アキレス腱
  • アキレス腱 (akiresu-ken)strong tendon in the calf of the leg
Korean 아킬레스건
  • 아킬레스건 (akilleseugeon)strong tendon in the calf of the leg
Latin tendo calcaneus, tendo Achillis
  • tendo calcaneusstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
  • tendo Achillisstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Latvian Ahileja cīpsla
  • Ahileja cīpslastrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Lithuanian kulninė sausgyslė
  • kulninė sausgyslėstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Malay keting, urat tumit
  • ketingstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
  • urat tumitstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Māori iohere punga
  • iohere pungastrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Norwegian Bokmål akillessene
  • akillessenestrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Polish ścięgno Achillesa
  • ścięgno Achillesastrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Portuguese tendão de Aquiles
  • tendão de Aquilesstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Romanian tendonul lui Ahile
  • tendonul lui Ahilestrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Russian ахи́ллово сухожи́лие, пя́точное сухожи́лие
  • ахи́ллово сухожи́лие (axíllovo suxožílije)strong tendon in the calf of the leg
  • пя́точное сухожи́лие (pjátočnoje suxožílije)strong tendon in the calf of the leg
Slovak Achillova šľacha
  • Achillova šľachastrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Spanish tendón aquíleo, tendón de Aquiles
  • tendón aquíleostrong tendon in the calf of the leg
  • tendón de Aquilesstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
  • tendón calcáneostrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Swedish hälsena, akillessena
  • hälsenastrong tendon in the calf of the leg
  • akillessenastrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Tagalog litid ni Akiles, litid ni Aquiles
  • litid ni Akilesstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
  • litid ni Aquilesstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Turkish Aşil tendonu
  • Aşil tendonustrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Ukrainian ахіллове сухожилля, п'яткове сухожилля
  • ахіллове сухожилля (axillove suxožyllja)strong tendon in the calf of the leg
  • п'яткове сухожилля (pʺjatkove suxožyllja)strong tendon in the calf of the leg
Vietnamese gân gót chân, gân Achilles
  • gân gót chânstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
  • gân Achillesstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
  • gân A-sinstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Welsh gweyllen y ffêr
  • gweyllen y ffêrstrong tendon in the calf of the leg
Cite this entry
APA

Achilles tendon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Achilles%20tendon

MLA

“Achilles tendon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Achilles%20tendon. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Achilles tendon,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Achilles%20tendon.

Source: Achilles tendon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.