What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
hock
Example
The horse injured its hock during the race. [hock: noun]
Example
The chef used hock to make a delicious soup. [hock: noun]
Example
The police put the hocks on the suspect's car to prevent them from escaping. [hocks: plural noun]
tarsus
Example
The bird's tarsus was injured during the migration. [tarsus: noun]
Example
The doctor examined the patient's tarsus for any signs of injury. [tarsus: noun]
Example
The athlete suffered from tarsal tunnel syndrome after running a marathon. [tarsal: adjective]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Hock is more commonly used than tarsus in everyday language, especially in the context of cooking and animal husbandry. Tarsus is more specialized and used primarily in scientific or medical contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between hock and tarsus?
Tarsus is more formal than hock due to its specialized usage in scientific or medical contexts.