pelvis
Americannoun
-
the basinlike cavity in the lower part of the trunk of many vertebrates, formed in humans by the innominate bones, sacrum, etc.
-
the bones forming this cavity.
-
the cavity of the kidney that receives the urine before it is passed into the ureter.
noun
-
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
-
the bones that form this structure
-
any anatomical cavity or structure shaped like a funnel or cup
-
short for renal pelvis
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:
Like the spine, the human pelvis must balance two competing demands: efficient bipedal walking and birthing large-brained infants.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
He crashed onto the saddle horn when his horse stopped suddenly at a calf-sorting event, splitting his pelvis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
The broadcaster and author said he broke his leg, hip, pelvis and a "bunch of ribs" at the CogX convention at the O2 arena in London after giving the keynote address in September 2023.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
For the first couple of days, the pain in my pelvis was far, far worse.
From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2026
They brushed his bandages often with a whiskbroom and scrubbed the plaster casts on his arms, legs, shoulders, chest and pelvis with soapy water.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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
Ellis speaks of female twins, born in Millville, Tenn., and exhibited in New York in 1868, who were joined at the pelves in a longitudinal axis.
From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)
He first alluded to the perfection to which the forceps had reached for pelves narrowed at the brim, and the means of correcting faulty position of the fœtus during labor.
From Moral Principles and Medical Practice The Basis of Medical Jurisprudence by Coppens, Charles
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 ?Malley, Austin
Pare speaks of twins united at the pelves, who were born in Paris July 20, 1570.
From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)
The researchers tested samples of soil around the pelvises of remains of 19 monks and 25 locals.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 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
Zollikofer, Ponce de León, and their co-authors took CT scans of the pelvises of 275 individuals—151 males and 124 females—who ranged in age from developing infants to 95 years old.
From Science Magazine ● Apr. 25, 2016
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
Definitions 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.
