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:
A narrow pelvis improves locomotion, but restricts the birth canal’s size.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
At the time, Lee was in a wheelchair after losing a leg and a portion of his pelvis when he was hit by a speeding car at age 14.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 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
I tried to keep my pelvis steady now.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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
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
Not rarely the kidneys were deeply engorged, and extravasations of blood into their substance, their pelves, and into the surrounding connective tissues were often encountered.
From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various
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
In cases where the conjugata vera is above 7 centimetres in flat pelves and 7.5 centimetres in generally contracted pelves, the treatment can not be reduced to general rules.
From Essays In Pastoral Medicine by Austin ?Malley
“I do believe that if we could all align our pelvises, wars would stop and everything would take its right place,” he told Dance Magazine in 2007.
From New York Times ● Jan. 24, 2024
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
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.
