US /ɑs/ UK /ɒs/
noun Freq #18607

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    a bone, especially when identified by a Latin anatomical name

    Darwin described the os coccyx as a vestigial remnant of an ancestral tail.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · a bone, especially when... bone
Word family
Derived forms osseousossifyossification
Related forms coccyxskeletonosteal

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin os, genitive ossis, 'bone.' The stem oss- also appears in osseous and ossify. English anatomy retained the Latin noun in names such as os coccyx, the coccygeal or tail bone.

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