Medical term describing a position where the foot is pointed downward like a horse's hoof; also meaning horse-like in general.
From Latin 'equinus' meaning 'of or pertaining to a horse', derived from 'equus' (horse). In anatomy, the term 'equinus' describes the characteristic position of a horse's leg, which became the medical term for when a human foot is similarly pointed.
Your foot is 'equinus' when it's pointed downward—literally shaped like you're walking on the tips of your toes the way a horse walks on its hooves! Dancers train for years to achieve a perfect equinus position (en pointe), while patients with equinus deformity struggle to walk normally.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.