coccyx

     

The coccyx (pronounce kok-siks) (Latin: os coccygis), commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the human vertebral column. Comprised of three to five separate or fused vertebrae (the coccygeal vertebrae), below the sacrum, it is attached to the sacrum by a fibrocartilaginous joint, which permits limited movement between the sacrum and the coccyx. The term coccyx comes originally from the Greek language and means "cuckoo," referring to the shape of a cuckoo's beak.

Trivia about coccyx

  • This, the tailbone, consists of 3-5 fused vertebrae
  • Your spine ends at this tailbone, formed by 4 fused vertebrae
  • 3 to 5 vertebrae fuse to form the tailbone, also called this for its resemblance to a cuckoo's beak
  • This scientific name for the tailbone comes from its resemblance to a cuckoo bird's beat
  • This small bone at the base of your spine is named for its resemblance to a cuckoo's beak
  • This small triangular bone consists of 4 rudimentary vertebrae
  • (Jon of the Clue Crew points to a model of a human skeleton.) The spinal column ends with this bone, named because it's said to resemble a certain bird's beak
  • From the Greek, this lower end of the backbone represents a vestigial tail in apes & humans
  • It's the curved, semiflexible lower end of the backbone