pelvis
Americannoun
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pelvises,
plural
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pelves
plural
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the basinlike cavity in the lower part of the trunk of many vertebrates, formed in humans by the innominate bones, sacrum, etc.
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the bones forming this cavity.
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the cavity of the kidney that receives the urine before it is passed into the ureter.
noun
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the large funnel-shaped structure at the lower end of the trunk of most vertebrates: in man it is formed by the hipbones and sacrum
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the bones that form this structure
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any anatomical cavity or structure shaped like a funnel or cup
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short for renal pelvis
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pelvises
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pelvis
1605–15; < New Latin; Latin: basin; akin to Greek pellís bowl
Explanation
Your pelvis is the series of bones at the base of the spine that support your legs. Remember that Elvis had a knack for moving his pelvis, and then you may more easily remember this body part! In humans, hip bones make up either side of the pelvis, with the sacrum and coccyx bones at the back. This bony pelvis makes it possible for us to walk upright with jointed legs, and it also forms a protective case for the internal organs that sit low in the body. In Latin, pelvis means "basin," from the Greek pelike, "goblet or bowl."
Vocabulary lists containing pelvis
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Silver-Fajardo had undergone surgery on her knee and was awaiting another to repair her pelvis, Chernin wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
His father suffered a major injury to his left leg and pelvis after being hit by the car, she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
The sacrum is a group of vertebrae connected to the pelvis and forms part of the animal's lower spine.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
The condition has now spread to her lungs and she is due to have lung surgery, while she is also waiting for operations on her bowels and pelvis.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Jacquel tied off the intestines, glistening and snakelike in her belly, below the stomach and deep in the pelvis.
From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
With all this research out there showing how gestation seems to be limited primarily by maternal metabolism, why this notion that we’re compromised by our pelves?
From Scientific American ● Sep. 5, 2012
The female pelvis differs comparatively little from the European; but in the pelves of male Australians which I have examined, the antero-posterior and transverse diameters approach equality more nearly than is the case in Europeans.
From Critiques and Addresses by Thomas Henry Huxley
We can measure the pelves, but the size of the child's head is not satisfactorily measurable.
From Essays In Pastoral Medicine by Austin ?Malley
Pare speaks of twins united at the pelves, who were born in Paris July 20, 1570.
From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Walter L. (Walter Lytle) Pyle
Of two women with pelves of the same contraction one may require the section and the other may have a normal labour.
From Essays In Pastoral Medicine by Austin ?Malley
The researchers tested samples of soil around the pelvises of remains of 19 monks and 25 locals.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2022
Next, the researchers extracted RNA from different regions of the embryos’ pelvises to see which genes were active at different developmental stages.
From Science Magazine ● Aug. 16, 2022
It was a risky gambit for the burgeoning pop star, who released her disco-kissed “Future Nostalgia” at a time when bumping pelvises in a packed nightclub was actually forbidden.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 1, 2022
But, conversely, if the methylation data suggested Neanderthals grew small pelvises, you could consider their lower pelvic bones, which are skinnier than humans’ bones are.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 19, 2019
Thirty-three Delta females, long-headed, sandy, with narrow pelvises, and all within 20 millimetres of 1 metre 69 centimetres tall, were cutting screws.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
