What does coccyges mean?
Coccyges is simply the plural of coccyx, the name anatomists give to the tailbone — the small, triangular structure at the very base of the human spinal column. Formed of three to five vertebrae that fuse during development, the coccyx is what remains of our ancestors' tails, making the coccyges a favourite example of vestigial anatomy. Because the bones lie close beneath the skin at the seat, injuries to them are painful and slow to heal, so coccyges appear most often in medical contexts, from radiology reports to discussions of childbirth trauma. Outside clinics, the word surfaces in evolutionary biology, where comparing the coccyges of humans and other primates helps illustrate how tails were lost over millions of years. Though rarely needed in casual conversation, the word is precise, well-established, and instantly signals anatomical expertise.
nounThe plural of coccyx: the small triangular bone at the base of the spinal column in humans and some other primates, formed of three to five fused vertebrae.
- The plural of coccyx — the small triangular bone at the very bottom of the human spine, formed of fused vertebrae.
"The radiologist noted that both patients had unusually prominent coccyges, which explained their discomfort when seated."
"Injuries to the coccyges are notoriously painful because the bones sit just beneath the skin with little cushioning."
"Comparative anatomists study the vestigial coccyges of apes to trace the evolutionary loss of the external tail."
This is the standard plural, following the Greek pattern; 'coccyxes' is occasionally seen but widely considered nonstandard.
"Both athletes were diagnosed with bruised coccyges after their falls."
Your tailbone got its name from a bird: Greek doctors thought it looked like a cuckoo's beak, so they named it after the cuckoo.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of coccyges
Coccyges comes from the Latinized form of Greek kokkyx, meaning 'cuckoo'. Ancient Greek physicians applied the word to this bone because its shape reminded them of a cuckoo's curved beak; the plural retains the Greek-style -es ending rather than taking an English plural. The same Greek root ultimately gave English the bird name 'cuckoo', which echoes the call it describes, and it survives medically in terms such as 'coccygeal' and 'coccydynia', the latter denoting pain in the tailbone region.
Related word forms
How coccyges is actually used
A technical term used mainly in anatomy, medicine, and evolutionary biology. In everyday speech, people almost always refer to a single 'tailbone' or 'coccyx'; 'coccyges' appears chiefly in clinical or academic writing. The plural is pronounced differently from the singular, ending in /dʒiːz/ rather than /sɪks/.
Easily confused with coccyges
Cocci are spherical bacteria, whereas coccyges are tailbones; the words merely resemble each other in spelling.