(びこつ)

びこつ
noun
coccyx; tailbone
1. coccyx; tailbone
The small, triangular bone at the bottom of the spine, the vestigial remnant of the human tail. Used in medical contexts and when describing injuries from falling on the lower back.
尾骨(びこつ)()った。
I bruised my tailbone.
(ころ)んで尾骨(びこつ)骨折(こっせつ)した。
I fell and fractured my tailbone.
尾骨(びこつ)(いた)みが長引(ながび)いたので整形外科(せいけいげか)()てもらった。
The pain in my tailbone wouldn't go away, so I had it examined at an orthopedic clinic.

Composed of () (tail) and (こつ) (bone). A medical/anatomical term. In everyday conversation, Japanese speakers are at least as likely to use the more colloquial 尻尾(しっぽ)(ほね) or simply お{尻(しり)(ほね)} when describing a fall.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 尾骨(びこつ)()つ: to bruise/hit one's tailbone
  • 尾骨(びこつ)骨折(こっせつ)する: to fracture one's tailbone
  • 尾骨(びこつ)(いた)い: one's tailbone hurts
  • 尾骨(びこつ)(いた)み: pain in the tailbone

RELATED TERMS:

  • 背骨(せぼね): spine, backbone
  • 骨盤(こつばん): pelvis
  • 仙骨(せんこつ): sacrum — the bone just above the tailbone
  • (): tail (of an animal)