Talus

Talus (which is Latin for ankle-bone), has several meanings:

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• in mountaineering and climbing, talus is small broken rock found on mountain slopes and at the base of cliffs. It is used interchangeably with scree.
• in Greek mythology, Talus is an alternate spelling for Talos, a rock throwing creature.
• in anatomy, the talus bone of the ankle joint connects the leg to the foot.
• in architecture, the slope of an embankment wall, which is thicker at the bottom than at the top, to resist the pressure of the earth behind it. (originally from 1911 Encyclopedia)