meta·tar·sal
ˌme-tə-ˈtär-səl 
: of, relating to, or being the part of the human foot or of the hind foot in quadrupeds between the tarsus and the phalanges that in humans comprises five elongated bones which form the front of the instep and ball of the foot
: a metatarsal bone
Examples of metatarsal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025
Your foot isn’t far behind, with 26 bones: 14 phalanges, five metatarsal and seven tarsal.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
The shoes have a premium removable footbed that provides fantastic metatarsal and arch support in addition to a deep heel cub and forefoot cushioning.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for metatarsal
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Utah center Walker Kessler is out for the year recovering from his surgery to address a left shoulder labral tear, while forward Georges Niang (left foot fourth metatarsal stress reaction) and third-year power forward Taylor Hendricks (right hamstring strain) are both on the shelf, too.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025
Your foot isn’t far behind, with 26 bones: 14 phalanges, five metatarsal and seven tarsal.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
Noun
Shannon has already missed nine contests this year due to a left foot fifth metatarsal bone bruise, although he's been back for the past three games.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
The shoes have a premium removable footbed that provides fantastic metatarsal and arch support in addition to a deep heel cub and forefoot cushioning.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for metatarsal
Cite this Entry
“Metatarsal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metatarsal. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
metatarsal
1 of 2 adjective
meta·tar·sal
ˌmet-ə-ˈtär-səl
: of, relating to, or being the part of the foot in human beings or of the hind foot in a four-footed animal that is located between the tarsal bones and the toes
metatarsal
2 of 2 noun
: any of the metatarsal bones of which there are five in human beings
Medical Definition
metatarsal
1 of 2 adjective
meta·tar·sal
ˌmet-ə-ˈtär-səl
: of, relating to, or being the part of the human foot or of the hind foot in quadrupeds between the tarsus and the phalanges that in humans comprises five elongated bones which form the front of the instep and ball of the foot
metatarsal
2 of 2 noun
: a metatarsal bone
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share