perineum

[ per-uh-nee-uhm ]

noun,plural per·i·ne·a [per-uh-nee-uh]. /ˌpɛr əˈni ə/. Anatomy.
  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.

Origin of perineum

1
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

Other words from perineum

  • per·i·ne·al, adjective

Words Nearby perineum

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How to use perineum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for perineum

perineum

/ (ˌpɛrɪˈniːəm) /


nounplural -nea (-ˈniːə)
  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

Origin of perineum

1
C17: from New Latin, from Greek perinaion, from peri- + inein to empty out

Derived forms of perineum

  • perineal, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for perineum

perineum

[ pĕr′ə-nēəm ]


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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