Definition of SACRUM

sacrum

Plural: sacra, sacrums

Noun

  • wedge-shaped bone consisting of five fused vertebrae forming the posterior part of the pelvis; its base connects with the lowest lumbar vertebra and its tip with the coccyx
  • A large triangular bone at the base of the spine, located between the two ilia (wings of the pelvis) and formed from vertebrae that fuse in adulthood.
  • pl. -CRA or -CRUMS a bone of the pelvis

Origin / Etymology

From Latin os sacrum (“holy bone”), a calque of Ancient Greek ἱερὸν ὀστέον (hieròn ostéon). Apparently so called either because the sacrum was the part of the animal offered in sacrifice or because of a putative belief that it is where a person's soul resides. A third explanation is that the term is a translation of Ancient Greek ἱερόν (hierón), which has two meanings: “holy, sacred”, and “big” — big being a more appropriate description of the sacrum — but compare.

Synonyms

holy bone

Scrabble Score: 10

sacrum: valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
sacrum: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
sacrum: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

sacrum is a valid Words With Friends word