ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ankle

n. · v.
US //ˈæŋkəɫ// UK //ˈæŋkəl// an·kle
  1. 1 body part (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    the joint where your foot joins your leg.

    the joint connecting the foot with the leg, specifically the region of the talus and the malleoli of the tibia and fibula.

    Example

    He tripped on the stairs and twisted his ankle while carrying the groceries.

    Example

    The athlete suffered a severe sprain to her left ankle during the final minutes of the championship match, requiring immediate medical attention.

  2. 2 to walk (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Slang American English

    to walk from one place to another.

    to travel on foot; used as an intransitive verb in informal or hard-boiled contexts.

    Example

    After the car broke down, we had to ankle it all the way back to town.

    Example

    The detective decided to ankle over to the corner deli to see if the clerk remembered seeing the suspect.

    Usage

    Often used with 'it' as in 'to ankle it'.
  3. 3 cycling technique (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Sport

    to move your foot at the ankle while pedalling a bicycle to get more power.

    to use the ankle joint to flex the foot during a pedal stroke to maintain a smooth application of force.

    Example

    The coach showed the cyclists how to ankle properly to improve their speed.

    Example

    By learning to ankle effectively, the cyclist was able to maintain a higher cadence and reduce muscle fatigue during the long climb.

Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eng- Proto-Germanic *-ulaz Proto-Germanic *ankulaz Proto-West Germanic *ankul Old English *ancol Middle English ancle English ankle From Middle English ankel, ancle, ankyll, from Old English ancol (compare anclēow (“ankle”) > Modern English anclef, ancliff, ancley), from Proto-West Germanic ankul, from Proto-Germanic ankulaz (“ankle”); akin to Icelandic ökkla, ökli, Danish and Swedish ankel, Dutch enklaauw, enkel, German Enkel, Old Norse akka, Old Frisian anckel, and perhaps Old High German encha, ancha (“thigh, shin”), from the Proto-Germanic *ankijǭ (“ankle, joint”). Compare with Sanskrit अङ्ग (aṅga, “limb”), अङ्गुरि (aṅguri, “finger”), Latin angulus. Compare haunch and Greek prefix ἀγκυλο- (ankulo-, “joint, crooked, bent”). Doublet of angulus and angle.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Idioms1 entry

Last updated June 20, 2026