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:
Silver-Fajardo had undergone surgery on her knee and was awaiting another to repair her pelvis, Chernin wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
His father suffered a major injury to his left leg and pelvis after being hit by the car, she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
She had surgery to remove the cancerous cells plus lymph nodes from her abdomen and pelvis to stop it spreading.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
A narrow pelvis improves locomotion, but restricts the birth canal’s size.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
Arms at the sides, knees bent, lift the pelvis, roll the backbone down.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
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
Symphysiotomy is an operation consisting of division of the pubic symphysis in order to facilitate delivery in narrow pelves.
From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Walter L. (Walter Lytle) Pyle
Difficulty also not seldom occurs in women with normal pelves from an excessive size in the child through prolonged pregnancy, bigness of one or both parents, or the advanced age or multiparity of the mother.
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
The female pelvis differs comparatively little from the European; but in the pelves of male Australians which I have examined, the antero-posterior and transverse diameters approach equality more nearly than is the case in Europeans.
From Critiques and Addresses by Thomas Henry Huxley
“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
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
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
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