πτέρνη ( Hp. Art. 3 , Epid. 5.48 , Phot. ), later πτέρνᾰ ( Lyc. 500, LXX [Gen 3:15] , etc.), ἡ , heel , Il. 22.397 , Hp.Il.cc., Arist. HA 494b7; under part of the heel , A. Ch. 209 (pl.); heel-bone , Gal. 2.776, al.: prov., εἴπερ τὸν ἐγκέφαλον . . μὴ ἐν ταῖς π. φορεῖτε D. 7.45 .
2. hoof , LXX Jd. 5.22 .
3. heel of a shoe, Herod. 7.21 , Phryn. PS p.69B.
4. footstep , LXX Ca. 1.8 .
II metaph., foot or lower part of anything, πύργων Lyc. 442; τῆς μηχανῆς Plb. 8.6.2; of a mast, Asclep.Myrl. ap. Ath. 11.474f (but, waist of a ship, Hero *Stereom. 2.52).
2. butt-end of the ἀγκών of a torsion-engine, Ph. Bel. 59.30 , 66.2; of a surgical machine, Orib. 49.4.9 ,al.
III ham (mock Epicism formed from Lat. perna ), Batr. 37; f.l. for πέρνα in Aët. 15.15 , Paul.Aeg. 7.17.74 ( πέρνα correctly in 4.32 ).
G4418 — πτέρνα
πτέρνης, ἡ, the heel (of the foot): ἐπαίρειν τήν πτέρναν ἐπί τινα, to lift up the heel against one, i. e. dropping the figure (which is borrowed either from kicking, or from a wrestler tripping up his antagonist), to injure one by trickery, [Joh 13:18] after [Psa 40:10]. (Often in Greek writings from Homer down; the Sept. for עָקֵב.)