Medical Dictionary
Main Entry:
Achilles tendonFunction:
noun : the strong tendon joining the muscles in the calf of the leg to the bone of the heel called also
tendon of Achilles;—compare
HAMSTRING Achilles, Greek mythological character. One of the most illustrious of warriors, Achilleswas the offspring of a sea nymph who sought to achieve immortality for her son by dipping him in the river Styx in Hades. Holding Achilles by the heel, she left this one area unprotected. Later, in theTrojan War, he was fatally wounded when an arrow struck the very spot where he was vulnerable. Since classical times, the heel and Achilles have been commonly associated.
