Calcaneum
/kælˈkeɪniəm/noun
The heel bone, more commonly called the calcaneus.
Did you know?Calcaneum comes from Latin calx, meaning “heel,” a root also associated with calcare, “to tread,” which survives in words such as inculcate and recalcitrant.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
calx, calcis
“Heel”
Classical Latin
Latin
calcaneum
“Heel; heel bone”
Late Latin
Latin
calcaneus
“Of or belonging to the heel”
Middle English
English
calcaneum
“A learned anatomical term for the heel bone”
Modern English
English
calcaneum
“The heel bone, also called the calcaneus”
Explore more surprising origins