coccyx

[ kok-siks ]

/ ˈkɒk sɪks /

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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.

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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

cocciferous, coccobacillus, coccoid, coccolith, coccus, coccyx, coch., Cochabamba, cochair, cochairman, cochairperson

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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 Online
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

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