sciatic nerve
- either of a pair of nerves, the largest in the body, that originate in the sacral plexus of the lower back and extend down the buttocks to the back of the knees, where they divide into other nerves: the sciatic nerve and its branches innervate large areas of the pelvis, leg, and foot.
Origin of sciatic nerve
First recorded in 1735–45
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
sciatic nerve
- A nerve that arises from the sacral plexus and passes through the greater sciatic foramen to about the middle of the thigh where it divides into the common peroneal and tibial nerves.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
sciatic nerve
[sī-ăt′ĭk]
- A thick nerve that arises in the lower part of the spine and passes through the pelvis on its way to the back of the leg. It carries sensory information from the leg to the central nervous system and controls the action of many muscles. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.