Crus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A leg or a leg-like part of an organism or structure; a anatomical term referring to a specific part of the body, such as muscles or tendons shaped like legs; a biological term for a conduit or supporting limb within a body system
2. A limb or branch resembling a leg, often used for parts of animals or human anatomy; a technical name for sections of structures resembling supporting legs; a descriptive term for elongated parts in anatomy or biology resembling legs
3. A bodily segment or extension analogous to a leg, especially in anatomical contexts; a scientific designation for certain muscle or tendon groups shaped like legs; a part of an organism’s body or a structural component that functions similarly to a leg

Etymology: In Latin, "crus" meant the lower part of the leg, from the knee to the ankle, and it is the source of the English anatomical term "crus." English borrowed the Latin word directly rather than through French, so it kept its original sense and its status as a technical term. Anatomists use it for several structures that are named for their resemblance to a leg or a pillar, such as the crura of the diaphragm, which are muscular bands that anchor the diaphragm to the spine. Because the word stayed in scientific and medical vocabulary rather than passing into everyday speech, its meaning has changed very little from the Latin. The English form is also the plural-friendly "crura" for more than one structure, a pattern inherited straight from Latin.

Synonyms: legs, shanks