talus

1. The bone of the ankle that articulates with the tibia and fibula to form the ankle joint. Also called anklebone, astragalus.
2. The ankle.

[Latin tālus, ankle.]

[French talus, from Old French talu, sloping side of an earthwork, from Latin talūtium, gold-bearing outcrop, perhaps of Celtic origin.]

A scree slope formed of frost shattered rock debris which has fallen from the peaks above. Some writers use the term talus as a synonym for scree; others use the term to indicate the origin and type of slope, which is usually straight, and at an angle of 34-35°. Such slopes often form as a result of the coalescence of a series of talus cones, for example, on the south side of the Dachstein Massif, Germany, or along the shores of Wastwater, in the English Lake District. The slow, downslope movement of talus is talus creep, and is initiated either by the shock of new fragments falling on the scree or by the movement of individual particles resulting from heating and cooling.

1. Retaining-wall.

2. Battered wall, especially in fortifications.

A large bone that forms pact of the ankle. The talus articulates with the tibia above, the fibula to the side, and the calcaneus below.

The most proximal of the tarsal bones. Called also the tibial tarsal bone.

A talus (also called talus apron, talus slope, or scree) is a sloping mass of rocky fragments and debris formed at the base of a cliff.

The term may also refer to:

• Talus (fortification), sloped portion of a fortified wall
• Talus, California, community in Inyo County
• Talus bone, ankle bone, connecting the leg to the foot
• Talus, planet in the Star Wars universe
• Talus, electronic design automation tool by Magma Design Automation
• Scree, broken rock piles found on mountain slopes and at the base of cliffs

See also

• Talos (disambiguation)
• Tallus, a communications device in the Marvel comic book Exiles

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