coccyx
[kok-siks]
- 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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
coccyxExamples from the Web for coccyx
Contemporary Examples
The Englishman coming up behind her seized her where he could, in the region of her coccyx and her left rib cage.
Historical Examples
There may be severe pain at the coccyx, especially in women.
Essays In Pastoral MedicineAustin Malley
At its inferior, or lower angle, it is united to the coccyx.
The bones were in perfect condition, even the coccyx being intact.
Archeological InvestigationsGerard Fowke
Also note how much longer and more solid the sacrum (with its attached bone, called the coccyx) is in the male pelvis.
WomanWilliam J. Robinson
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 SocietyJoseph Bradford Cox
coccyx
- a small triangular bone at the end of the spinal column in man and some apes, representing a vestigial tail
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Word Origin
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
Word Origin and History for coccyx
n.
1610s, from Latin coccyx, from Greek kokkyx "cuckoo" (from kokku, like the bird's English name echoic of its cry), so called by ancient Greek physician Galen because the bone in humans supposedly resembles a cuckoo's beak.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
coccyx
(kŏk′sĭks)- 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
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.