Category:Tarsus

Tar"sus, n.; pl. Tarsi. Etym: [nl., fr. Gr. Tarse.]

1. (anat.) (a) the ankle; the bones or cartilages of the part of the foot Between the metatarsus and the leg, consisting in man of seven short Bones. (b) a plate of dense connective tissue or cartilage in the eyelid of Man and many animals; -- called also tarsal cartilage, and tarsal Plate.

2. (zoöl.)

Defn: the foot of an insect or a crustacean. It usually consists of Form two to five joints.

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---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Tarsus - The chief city of Cilicia. It was distinguished for its wealth and for its schools of learning, in which it rivaled, nay, excelled even Athens and Alexandria, and hence was spoken of as "no mean city." It was the native place of the Apostle Paul (Acts 21:39). It stood on the banks of the river Cydnus, about 12 miles north of the Mediterranean. It is said to have been founded by Sardanapalus, king of Assyria. It is now a filthy, ruinous Turkish town, called Tersous. (See PAUL.)