coccyx

noun

coc·​cyx ˈkäk-siks How to pronounce coccyx (audio)
plural coccyges ˈkäk-sə-ˌjēz How to pronounce coccyx (audio) also coccyxes ˈkäk-sik-səz How to pronounce coccyx (audio)
: a small bone that articulates with the sacrum and that usually consists of four fused vertebrae which form the terminus of the spinal column in humans and tailless apes

Examples of coccyx in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Its contoured shape is designed to evenly distribute pressure and help relieve coccyx and tailbone pain. Good Housekeeping, 9 Aug. 2023 The remnant that remains is the tailbone, also called the coccyx. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 13 Apr. 2023 Like the ComfiLife, this mat’s high-density polyurethane foam core provides excellent support, and its manufacturer advertises that the mat can help reduce fatigue and spinal and coccyx compression while promoting active standing. Chuong Nguyen, Ars Technica, 9 Mar. 2023 Your vertebrae are divided into sections: your cervical spine (hi, neck bones), your thoracic spine (the upper part of your back), your lumbar spine (lower back), your sacrum (this joins with your pelvis), and your coccyx (a funny way to say tailbone). Demetria Wambia, SELF, 17 Feb. 2022 By birth, the tail has disappeared and the vertebrae fused to form the coccyx or tailbone. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2022 These include such otherwise inexplicable ones as the pelvis and leg bones of whales and snakes, the wings of flightless birds, and the human coccyx (tailbone). David P. Barash, WSJ, 29 Dec. 2020 The suspension is about as stiff as SUV suspensions get, and although the ride is compliant over most surfaces, hitting a dip will send a coccyx-rattling shudder forward from the rear axle. John Pearley Huffman, Car and Driver, 29 Sep. 2020 And piano-key spines extend from the neck to the coccyx with the ribs flourishing outwards, but often without individual vertebrae, appearing just as a single wobbly line running down the back. Jack Hartnell, Time, 30 Oct. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coccyx.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek kokkyx cuckoo, coccyx; from its resemblance to a cuckoo's beak

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of coccyx was in 1615

Dictionary Entries Near coccyx

Cite this Entry

“Coccyx.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coccyx. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

coccyx

noun
coc·​cyx ˈkäk-siks How to pronounce coccyx (audio)
plural coccyges ˈkäk-sə-ˌjēz How to pronounce coccyx (audio) also coccyxes ˈkäk-sik-səz How to pronounce coccyx (audio)
: the bone at the end of the spinal column that is composed of four vertebrae combined into one bone

Medical Definition

coccyx

noun
coc·​cyx ˈkäk-siks How to pronounce coccyx (audio)
plural coccyges ˈkäk-sə-ˌjēz How to pronounce coccyx (audio) also coccyxes ˈkäk-sik-səz How to pronounce coccyx (audio)
: a small bone that articulates with the sacrum and that usually consists of four fused vertebrae which form the terminus of the spinal column

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