Crossword clues for talus
talus
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Talipes \Tal"i*pes\, n. [NL., fr. L. talus an ankle + pes, pedis, a foot; cf. L. talipedare to be weak in the feet, properly, to walk on the ankles.] (Surg.) The deformity called clubfoot. See Clubfoot.
Note: Several varieties are distinguished; as, Talipes varus, in which the foot is drawn up and bent inward; T. valgus, in which the foot is bent outward; T. equinus, in which the sole faces backward and the patient walks upon the balls of the toes; and T. calcaneus (called also talus), in which the sole faces forward and the patient walks upon the heel.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"anklebone," 1690s, from Latin talus "ankle, anklebone, knucklebone" (plural tali), related to Latin taxillus "a small die, cube" (they originally were made from the knucklebones of animals).
"slope," 1640s, from French talus (16c.), from Old French talu "slope, mound, small hill" (12c.), probably from Gallo-Roman *talutum, from Latin talutium "a slope or outcrop of rock debris," perhaps of Celtic origin (compare Welsh, Breton tal "forehead, brow").\n
\nOED, however, suggests derivation from root of talus (n.1) in the sense of "heel" which developed in its Romanic descendants. Mainly used of military earthwork at first; meaning "sloping mass of rocky fragments that has fallen from a cliff" is first recorded 1830.
Wiktionary
Etymology 1 n. (context anatomy English) The bone of the ankle. Etymology 2
n. 1 (context geology English) A sloping heap of fragments of rock lying at the foot of a precipice. 2 (context architecture English) The slope of an embankment wall, which is thicker at the bottom than at the top.
WordNet
n. a sloping mass of loose rocks at the base of a cliff [syn: scree]
the bone in the ankle that articulates with the leg bones to form the ankle joint [syn: anklebone, astragal, astragalus]
[also: tali (pl)]
Wikipedia
Talus may refer to:
- Talus slope or deposit, a slope formed by an accumulation of broken rock debris, as at the base of a cliff or other high place, also called scree
- Talus (fortification), a sloped portion of a fortified wall
- Talus, California, a community in Inyo County
- Talus bone, an ankle bone
- Talus, a fictional planet in Star Wars
- Talus, an electronic design automation tool by Magma Design Automation
- A character in The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser
The talus is an architectural feature of some late medieval castles, especially prevalent in crusader constructions. It consists of a battered (sloping) face at the base of a fortified wall. The slope acts as an effective defensive measure in two ways. First, conventional siege equipment is less effective against a wall with a talus. Scaling ladders may be unable to reach the top of the walls and are also more easily broken due to the bending stresses caused by the angle they are forced to adopt. Siege towers cannot approach closer than the base of the talus, and their gangplank may be unable to cover the horizontal span of the talus, rendering them useless. Furthermore, defenders are able to drop rocks over the walls, which will shatter on the talus, spraying a hail of shrapnel into any attackers massed at the base of the wall.
Usage examples of "talus".
The hill itself was formed of talus, covered with alluvium, all but a small portion of which was subsequently cut away, leaving an almost vertical face 15 or 18 feet high.
They continued to work, the virgin soil yielding up brown: a long bone, then the talus and calcaneus of a heel, pointing skyward as if the corpse had been placed in the earth facedown.
Isolated clumps of scraggly, yellow-barked spruce and russet-limbed rockberry flourished, but only where spreading flows of talus and rock tumble permitted.
Mari exploded as she watched Tali close her eyes and inhale deeply as if she were getting a whiff of the mystery man in question.
With a muffled curse, he began to fall, which gave Tali enough time to twist to the side to avoid being crushed by his weight.
Mari screamed as she reached down and pulled a dazed Tali to her feet.
She spared a moment to glance at Tali before turning her attention back to the traffic.
T-shirt, Tali penned a quick note to Mari, telling her where she had gone and why, then raced out of the apartment.
After he had Tali, he could come back to see who was the true Dominant here.
Kye sighed as he tightened his grip on Tali, who was now eyeing him with a touch of fear.
Jaid asked as he turned to make his way towards the exit, Tali in tow.
I should be scared, Tali thought as Kye practically dragged her down the street.
Suddenly breathless, Tali closed in on her chosen prey, kicking her shoes to some unknown place, all of her misgivings melting away as the music poured over her.
Kye grinned wider, exposing the tips of his growing fangs to Tali, letting his emotions seep through his skin to cover her with his desire.
A quick roll in the hay was one thing, but Tali exploded all of his reserves of control!