ankle

noun

an·​kle ˈaŋ-kəl How to pronounce ankle (audio)
1
: the joint between the foot and the leg
also : the region of this joint
2
: the joint between the cannon bone and pastern (as in the horse)

Examples of ankle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
These chic open-toe sandals have thin spaghetti-style straps that loop around the ankle and lower foot. — Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2026 Mukuba suffered a fractured ankle that ended his year, while Barron started just five games. — Sam Jane, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026 Jefferson is dealing with an ankle issue, while Addison has a hamstring injury. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 Instead, third-string running back Evan Pryor, on the field because backup Duke Clark suffered an ankle injury minutes earlier, got caught up 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage. — Noah White, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ankle

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ancle, ankill, perhaps going back to an unattested Old English outcome of Germanic *ankula- (whence Old Frisian & Middle Dutch ankel "ankle," Old High German anchal) alongside *ankila- (whence 16th-century Dutch enckel "ankle," Middle Low German enkel, Old High German enchil) and *ankilōn-, *ankulōn- (whence Old High German anchla, anchala, anchila "ankle," Old Norse ǫkkla), diminutive of a base seen in *ankjōn- (whence Old High German ancha, anca "limb, nape of the neck," Old Norse ekkja "heel"), of uncertain origin

Note: Middle English ancle is often presumed to have been borrowed from a Scandinavian predecessor (with a preserved nasal consonant) of the Norse etymon attested as ǫkkla in Old Icelandic. Complicating the already complex mixture of forms given above are Middle English anclee, anclowe and their modern dialect descendants such as ancliff, ankley, which go back to Old English anclēow, anclēowe "ankle," cognate with Old Frisian onklef, anklef, Middle Dutch anclau, anclief, Old High German anchlao; these appear to show conflation with the outcomes of Germanic *klawō- "claw" (as Old English clawu, clēa "claw, hoof"; see claw entry 1). Germanic *ankula- is usually further identified with Indo-European *h2eng-(e)lo- (see angle entry 1), though the etymon could equally well be derived within Germanic from the base *ank- seen in Old High German ancha. The latter has been connected with Sanskrit áṅgam "limb, member" and aṅgúliḥ, aṅgúriḥ "finger, toe," which appears to have suffixation similar to Germanic *ankula-.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ankle was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing ankle

Browse Nearby Words

ankh
ankle
ankle biter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ankle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ankle. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

ankle

noun
an·​kle ˈaŋ-kəl How to pronounce ankle (audio)
: the joint between the foot and the leg
also : the region of this joint

Medical Definition

ankle

noun
an·​kle ˈaŋ-kəl How to pronounce ankle (audio)
1
a
: the joint between the foot and the leg that constitutes in humans a ginglymus joint between the tibia and fibula above and the talus below

called also ankle joint

b
: the region of the ankle joint
2
: the joint between the cannon bone and pastern (as in the horse)

More from Merriam-Webster on ankle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ankle

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