tailbone

American

[teyl-bohn] / ˈteɪlˌboʊn /

noun

Anatomy.

the coccyx.

tailbone Scientific

/ tāl′bōn′ /

See coccyx

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.

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

Pain jolted through my tailbone as I slammed into the cold tile floor of the chevra kadisha’s corridor.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023