perineum

American  

[per-uh-nee-uhm] / ˌpɛr əˈni əm /

noun

Anatomy.

plural

perinea

1. the area in front of the anus extending to the fourchette of the vulva in the female and to the scrotum in the male.

2. the diamond-shaped area corresponding to the outlet of the pelvis, containing the anus and vulva or the roots of the penis.

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perineum British  

/ ˌpɛrɪˈniːəm /

noun

1. the region of the body between the anus and the genital organs, including some of the underlying structures

2. the nearly diamond-shaped surface of the human trunk between the thighs

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perineum Scientific  

/ pĕr′ə-nē′əm /

plural

perinea

1. The region between the scrotum and the anus in males, and between the posterior vulva and the anus in females.

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Other Word Forms

• perineal adjective

Etymology

Origin of perineum

First recorded in 1625–35; from New Latin, from Greek períneon, períneos, perínaios, apparently equivalent to per(i)- peri- + ine-, ina-, stems of ineîn, inân to “evacuate, empty” + -(i)os, -(i)on noun suffix

Example Sentences

Ashley Roper, 37, from Heckmondwike, suffered what is known as a buttonhole tear of her perineum while giving birth at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield in 2017.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2024

Unlike the rectum, the perineum can be easily disinfected, and also has another major advantage: It can provide a clearer pathway to the anterior prostate, a region that is harder to reach with transrectal biopsies.

From Salon • Aug. 11, 2021

In 2006, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified use of talc powder in the perineum area - the pelvic region between the legs - as “possibly carcinogenic.”

From Reuters • Dec. 3, 2019

In the case of the perineum, the degree of tearing is ranked from first- to fourth-degree.

From Slate • Apr. 22, 2019

This lessens the pain and the child's head emerges slower, and the perineum is saved.

From Mother's Remedies Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies from Mothers of the United States and Canada by Ritter, Thomas Jefferson