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The small bone at the end of the vertebral column in humans, formed by the fusion of four rudimentary vertebrae; it articulates above with the sacrum. SYN: os coccygis [TA], coccygeal bone, tail bone. [G. kokkyx, a cuckoo, the c.]
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coc·cyx 'käk-siks n, pl coc·cy·ges 'käk-sə-.jēz also coc·cyx·es 'käk-sik-səz a small bone that articulates with the sacrum and that usu. consists of four fused vertebrae which form the terminus of the spinal column
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n. (pl. coccyges or coccyxes)
the lowermost element of the backbone: the vestigial human tail. It consists of four rudimentary coccygeal vertebrae fused to form a triangular bone that articulates with the sacrum. See also vertebra.
• coccygeal adj.
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coc·cyx (kokґsiks) [Gr. kokkyx cuckoo, whose bill it is said to resemble] TA alternative for os coccygis.Medical dictionary. 2011.