Achilles tendon
Calf-to-heel connector
The Achilles tendon is the thick band of tissue connecting the calf muscles to the heel bone, enabling walking, running, and jumping.
It's the largest and strongest tendon in the human body, yet vulnerable to rupture during sudden exertion.
Named for the Greek hero Achilles, whose heel was his only weak spot, the term carries connotations of hidden vulnerability in an otherwise strong system.
- calfJuvenile cow or leg part
- calf muscleRear lower leg muscle
- ankleLeg-foot joint
- heelFoot's rear underside
- ruptureViolent tearing apart
foot · gastrocnemius · muscle · tendinopathy · Kobe Bryant · calcaneus · dorsiflexion · hamstring · soleus · pain · connective tissue · tear · sports injury · physical therapy · stretch · strain · weakness · sprint
- lower legankle, calf, shin, tibia, fibula
- tendons
- Anatomical EponymsAdam's apple, Fallopian tube, Fallopian tubes, Pacinian corpuscles, McBurney's point
- body partsarm, leg, hand, back, chest
- musculoskeletalbone, bones, muscle, muscles, joint
- EponymsDarwinian, Alzheimer's disease, Freudian slip, cardigan, Parkinson's disease
Achilles tendonarmor
Protective combat covering
shield · strong suit · invulnerability · forte · superpower
tendon, tendons, Achilles, tendonitis, tendinitis, tendinous, Achilles' heel