Meaning & use
coccyx
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Meanings
nouncountablemedical
The small bone at the very bottom of the spine, made of several fused vertebrae, often called the tailbone.
Grammar: Countable, though usually mentioned as a single bone: she bruised her coccyx.
Patterns
- coccyx injury
- bruised coccyx
She landed hard on the ice and bruised her coccyx.
The coccyx is a remnant of a tail that our distant ancestors had.
Sitting on a soft cushion can ease pain in the coccyx.
nouncountablemedical
The bottom part of the human spine considered as a region where pain or injury can occur, often discussed in medicine.
Grammar: Often used in medical settings when talking about back pain.
Patterns
- pain in the coccyx
- fracture of the coccyx
The doctor said the pain came from the coccyx rather than the lower back.
A fall onto a hard floor can fracture the coccyx.
Cyclists sometimes complain of soreness in the coccyx.
Word forms
| plural | coccyxes |
|---|---|
| plural (Latin) | coccyges |
Common combinations
- bruise the coccyx
- He bruised his coccyx falling off a skateboard.
- fracture the coccyx
- Skiing accidents may fracture the coccyx.
- coccyx pain
- Coccyx pain can make sitting difficult.
- coccyx cushion
- She uses a coccyx cushion at her desk.
- base of the coccyx
- The nerves end at the base of the coccyx.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tailbone
- Tailbone is the everyday word for the same bone, while coccyx is the technical medical term.
- tail end of the spine
- This phrase is only a descriptive expression, whereas coccyx names the specific bone.
- sacrum
- The sacrum is the larger triangular bone just above the coccyx, so it is not a true synonym.
Word family
Commonly confused: coccyx or sacrum? coccyx or coccus?
coccyx vs sacrum
The sacrum is the broad bone above the coccyx and below the lumbar spine, while the coccyx is the tiny end bone.
coccyx vs coccus
A coccus is a round bacterium; coccyx is a spinal bone, and the two are unrelated apart from the Greek root.
Practice
After slipping on the stairs, Liam complained of sharp pain in his ___, the small bone at the end of his spine.
Choose one answer.
The coccyx is the tailbone at the base of the spine. The sternum is the breastbone, the clavicle is the collarbone and the femur is the thigh bone.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “coccyx”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.