coccyx

[ kok-siks ]

/ ˈkɒk sɪks /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for coccyx on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural coc·cy·ges

[kok-sahy-jeez, kok-si-jeez]. /kɒkˈsaɪ dʒiz, ˈkɒk sɪˌdʒiz/.

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 COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS

These are smilar words, and share related meanings, but their uses are very different. Click on the buttons to learn more about these commonly confused words.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of coccyx

1605–15; <New Latin <Greek kókkyx cuckoo, from its resemblance to a cuckoo's beak

OTHER WORDS FROM coccyx

coc·cyg·e·al

[kok-sij-ee-uhl, -sij-uhl], /kɒkˈsɪdʒ i əl, -ˈsɪdʒ əl/, adjectivein·ter·coc·cyg·e·al, adjectivepre·coc·cyg·e·al, adjective

Words nearby coccyx

coccygeal sinus, coccygectomy, coccygodynia, coccygotomy, coccyodynia, coccyx, coch., Cochabamba, cochair, cochairman, cochairperson

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use coccyx in a sentence

Lumbar 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.
14 essential items for working from anywhere|Mary Kearl|November 3, 2021|Popular-Science
The Englishman coming up behind her seized her where he could, in the region of her coccyx and her left rib cage.
'Are You Also With Fever?'|Dr. Abraham Verghese|February 11, 2009|DAILY BEAST
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 Cox
The 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. Talbot
In Man all the four caudal vertebrae are rudimentary and are fused together, forming the coccyx.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds
The os coccyx in man, though functionless as a tail, plainly represents this part in other vertebrate animals.
The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Vol. I (1st edition)|Charles Darwin

British Dictionary definitions for coccyx

coccyx

/ (ˈkɒksɪks) /

noun plural coccyges (kɒkˈsaɪdʒiːz)

a small triangular bone at the end of the spinal column in man and some apes, representing a vestigial tail

Derived forms of coccyx

coccygeal (kɒkˈsɪdʒɪəl), adjective

Word Origin for coccyx

C17: from New Latin, from Greek kokkux cuckoo, of imitative origin; from the likeness of the bone to a cuckoo's beak

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

Medical definitions for coccyx

coccyx

[ kŏk′sĭks ]

n. pl. coc•cy•ges (kŏk-sī′jēz, kŏk′sĭ-jēz′)

The small triangular bone located at the base of the spinal column, formed by the fusion of four rudimentary vertebrae, and articulating above with the sacrum.tailbone

Scientific definitions for coccyx

coccyx

[ kŏk′sĭks ]

Plural coccyges (kŏk-sī′jēz, kŏk′sĭ-jēz′)

A small triangular bone at the base of the spine in humans and apes. It is composed of several fused vertebrae. Also called tailbone