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tailbone

American  
[teyl-bohn] / ˈteɪlˌboʊn /

noun

Anatomy.
tailbones plural
  1. the coccyx.


tailbone Scientific  
/ tālbōn′ /
  1. See coccyx


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of tailbone

First recorded in 1540–50; tail 1 + bone

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:

It’s a cyst at the base of the tailbone or top of the butt crease.

From Slate Feb. 22, 2026

"I was like, 'Trust me, she's a performer, but she actually just fell and broke her tailbone... and she's in a wheelchair'," the actor says.

From BBC Sep. 24, 2025

Ducks coach Dana Altman said Dante had a bruised tailbone.

From Seattle Times Mar. 15, 2024

Following this evolutionary split, the group of apes that includes present-day humans evolved the formation of fewer tail vertebrae, giving rise to the coccyx, or tailbone.

From Science Daily Feb. 28, 2024

Until finally the doctor emerged from the bowels of the hospital and told us: A bruised tailbone.

From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez

So far, they know they have found a leg, hip, pelvis, a couple of tailbones and a good chunk of the skull, Lyson said.

From Seattle Times Jun. 3, 2024

She said that if a bunch of people just came in off the street, she’d estimate that only half would be able to do the pose with their tailbones down.

From Slate May 6, 2023

On TikTok, chiropractors are stretching chubby legs, massaging infant tailbones and tracing the tiny vertebrae of baby spines, touting a range of unproven treatments for newborns, babies and toddlers.

From Washington Post Sep. 15, 2022

And when the bow slammed into the wall of water ahead, their bodies crashed back to the deck, jarring their tailbones and bruising their legs.

From Washington Times Jan. 12, 2020

Some wore pillow-size stuffed animal turtles around their rumps to protect their tailbones in a fall.

From New York Times Nov. 27, 2019

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