Definition

The small, triangular bone at the base of the spine, formed by the fusion of several vertebrae, which is often referred to as the coccyx.

Example

After falling, she felt pain in her tailbone.

Conversation

I hurt my tailbone when I fell off my bike yesterday.

Ouch! That sounds painful, how did it happen?

I was trying to do a trick and lost my balance.

That’s rough! Make sure to take it easy for a while.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Tailbone → The word is formed from "tail" (from Old French *tail*, meaning the rear part of an animal) and "bone" (from Old English *ban*, meaning a hard structure that forms the skeleton). The term "tailbone" refers to the small bone at the end of the vertebral column, reminiscent of the tail in animals.

Memory Tip

Think of the 'tail' as the rear part of an animal and 'bone' as the hard structure in the body. This helps you remember that 'tailbone' refers to the small bone at the end of the spine, similar to where a tail would be.

Visually Confused Words