tendon of Achilles
- noun
- /ˈtɛndən əv əˈkɪliz/
:
tendón de Aquiles
- She tore her tendon of Achilles during the marathon and had to undergo surgery.
Examples
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Proper stretching helps prevent injuries to the tendon of Achilles.
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The tendon of Achilles is crucial for running.
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Overuse can lead to inflammation of the tendon of Achilles, especially in athletes.
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Many athletes suffer injuries to their tendons of Achilles.
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Overuse can lead to inflammation of the tendon of Achilles, especially in athletes.
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Proper stretching helps prevent injuries to the tendon of Achilles.
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She tore her tendon of Achilles during the marathon and had to undergo surgery.
Synonyms
43
3.7
A strong band of tissue that connects a muscle to a bone
4
3.4
A strong band at the back of the ankle that joins the calf muscles to the heel bone
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a directly compositional noun phrase: 'tendon' (connective tissue) combined with the possessive/partitive 'of Achilles' denotes the tendon belonging to Achilles, so the overall meaning is literally derivable from the parts. Proper-name labelling of body parts (Achilles as the named owner of the tendon) is a common, transparent pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will understand the referent.
Etymology
Tendon of Achilles comes from the Greek hero Achilles. One popular story says his mother dipped him in a magic river to make him safe but held his 'heel', so that small spot stayed weak. That's why the word 'Achilles' became linked to the back of the ankle, and tendon of Achilles now names the large tendon there that can be easily hurt.