Meanings
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1
noun
the basal segment of an arthropod limb, by which the leg is attached to the body
A ridged rasp crossed the coxa of each hind leg of the beetle.
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2
noun
anatomy: the hip or hip joint
The radiograph showed degeneration at the coxa where the femur meets the pelvis.
Thesaurus
Etymology
A learned borrowing from Latin coxa, 'hip or hip joint,' from an Indo-European root for a joint or limb. Zoologists transferred the anatomical name to the first segment of an arthropod leg.