1. The largest bone of the foot, forming the heel; the heel bone.
Usage: anatomy; also called calcaneum

Examples

• The calcaneus is the bone you feel when you press on your heel.
• A fracture of the calcaneus can be very painful and slow to heal.
• The calcaneus bears much of the body's weight when standing or walking.
• Runners sometimes develop inflammation where the Achilles tendon attaches to the calcaneus.
• The doctor ordered an X-ray to check for damage to the calcaneus after the fall.