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