Main Entry: per·i·ne·um

Pronunciation: \ˌper-ə-ˈnē-əm\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural -nea\-ˈnē-ə\

Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin perinaion, from Greek, from peri- + inan to empty out; perhaps akin to Sanskrit iṣṇāti he sets in motion

Date: 15th century

: an area of tissue that marks externally the approximate boundary of the outlet of the pelvis and gives passage to the urinogenital ducts and rectum; also : the area between the anus and the posterior part of the external genitalia

— per·i·ne·al \-ˈnē-əl\ adjective