coccyx
a small triangular bone forming the lower extremity of the spinal column in humans, consisting of four ankylosed rudimentary vertebrae.
a corresponding part in certain animals.
Compare Meanings
Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.
Origin of coccyx
1Other words from coccyx
- coc·cyg·e·al [kok-sij-ee-uhl, -sij-uhl], /kɒkˈsɪdʒ i əl, -ˈsɪdʒ əl/, adjective
- in·ter·coc·cyg·e·al, adjective
- pre·coc·cyg·e·al, adjective
Words Nearby coccyx
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use coccyx in a sentence
Following a motorcycle crash in which I knocked out my left knee and fractured my coccyx in seven places 10 years ago, I’ve struggled to bend into deep deadlifts.
After 100 Workouts on Tonal, I’m Never Going to a Gym Again | wsiler | February 12, 2022 | Outside OnlineLumbar support cushions like this one by Everlasting Comfort, and this one by Newgam, can help avoid and relieve pain in the lower back and coccyx by facilitating a neutral position.
The Englishman coming up behind her seized her where he could, in the region of her coccyx and her left rib cage.
The sinus on the back extends from the coccyx to the ribs, and from one ilium to the other.
Report on Surgery to the Santa Clara County Medical Society | Joseph Bradford CoxThe pieces of the abdomen and of the terminal segment correspond to the bones of the abdomen and coccyx (p. 458).
Form and Function | E. S. (Edward Stuart) Russell
The bone immediately below the sacrum, called the coccyx, is essentially the representative of the tail in man.
Degeneracy | Eugene S. TalbotIn Man all the four caudal vertebrae are rudimentary and are fused together, forming the coccyx.
The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. ReynoldsThe os coccyx in man, though functionless as a tail, plainly represents this part in other vertebrate animals.
British Dictionary definitions for coccyx
/ (ˈkɒksɪks) /
a small triangular bone at the end of the spinal column in man and some apes, representing a vestigial tail
Origin of coccyx
1Derived forms of coccyx
- coccygeal (kɒkˈsɪdʒɪəl), adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for coccyx
[ kŏk′sĭks ]
A small triangular bone at the base of the spine in humans and apes. It is composed of several fused vertebrae. Also called tailbone
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse