WordGarden.iopubis
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /pjˈuːbɪs/
US
- /pjˈuːbɪs/
Meanings
Noun
the front part of the pelvis; a pubic bone
the pubic region of the lower abdomen
Beyond the definition
The pubis (pronounced pyoo-bis) is the front part of the hip bone. Each hip bone is made of three parts: the ilium, the ischium, and the pubis. This part sits at the front of the pelvis, around the groin area, and the left and right sides meet at the pubic symphysis. In medical writing, "pubis" can also mean the pubic or genital area, but that use is less common in everyday English. You are most likely to see the word in anatomy, medicine, or discussions of injury.
The pubis isn't a word you hear every day, but it names an important part of the body. It is the front and lower part of each hip bone. On the left and right sides of the body, the two pubic bones meet at the pubic symphysis, a joint at the front of the pelvis. This area helps support the organs in the lower body and gives muscles in the abdomen, thighs, and groin a place to attach.
The word has also been used for the area around the genitals because of where this bone is located. That meaning still appears in medical contexts, especially in anatomy or descriptions of injury, but it is less common in normal conversation and sounds very clinical.
You will usually meet "pubis" in textbooks, medical articles, or health discussions rather than in casual speech. It is related in origin to words like "pubic" and "puberty," which come from the same Latin root connected with physical maturity.
So while it may sound unfamiliar at first, "pubis" is mainly a precise anatomy word for the front part of the pelvic bone, with a second medical meaning referring to the pubic region.
Examples
- 1
Anatomy class
In anatomy class, we learned that the pubis forms the front part of the pelvis.
- 2
Medical examination
The doctor pressed gently on the pubis to check where the pain was.
- 3
Injury scan
The scan showed a small fracture of the pubis after the fall.
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- pubisnoun