hallux

English

WOTD – 27 September 2011, 27 September 2012, 27 September 2013, 27 September 2014

Etymology

From Late Latin hallux, from Latin allus, hallus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈhæləks/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Rhymes: -æləks

Noun

hallux (plural halluces or halluxes)

  1. (anatomy) The big toe.
    • 1995, Anthony Burgess, Byrne:
      His left foot winced. The hallux nail, ill-cut, / Assailed its neighbour toe with a shrewd nip.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Latin

Alternative forms

  • allux

Etymology

There is a relation to hallus and allex. Might be a conflation of both. The word-initial h might stem from an assumed connection with ἅλλομαι (hállomai).

Pronunciation

Noun

hallux m (genitive hallucis); third declension

  1. (Late Latin) the big toe
    Synonyms: allex, pollex, hallus

Declension

Third-declension noun.

singular plural
nominative hallux hallucēs
genitive hallucis hallucum
dative hallucī hallucibus
accusative hallucem hallucēs
ablative halluce hallucibus
vocative hallux hallucēs

Descendants

  • Italian: alluce
  • Catalan: hàllux
  • English: hallux
  • Portuguese: hálux
  • Spanish: hallux

References

Spanish

Noun

hallux m (plural hallux)

  1. hallux