n., pl., coc·cy·ges (kŏk-sī'jēz, kŏk'sĭ-jēz').
A small triangular bone at the base of the spinal column in humans and tailless apes, consisting of several fused rudimentary vertebrae. Also called tailbone.
[New Latin, from Greek kokkūx, cuckoo, coccyx (from its resemblance to a cuckoo's beak).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
