📖 Definition & Meaning
Buttocks (plural noun)
Pronunciation: /ˈbʌt.əks/ (BUT-uhks)
Meaning:
The buttocks are the two rounded portions at the back of the pelvis, formed mainly by the gluteal muscles and fat. They support the body when sitting and play a key role in posture and locomotion.
🧠 Simple Explanation
Your buttocks are the two fleshy parts you sit on. They help you stand, walk, and balance.
🛠️ Grammatical Formation
- Part of speech: Plural noun (no singular)
- Countability: Uncountable in concept, but refers to two parts
- Usage with prepositions:
- sit on the buttocks
- pain in the buttocks
- touch someone’s buttocks
⚖️ Word Comparisons
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Buttocks | Anatomical rear, gluteal region |
| Hips | Side of pelvis above the thigh |
| Thighs | Upper leg, below hips |
| Gluteus | The major muscle group in the buttocks |
| Rear end | Colloquial for buttocks |
🔁 Synonyms
rear end, backside, butt, bottom, derriere, glutes
🚫 Antonyms
abdomen (front torso), chest, face
🔗 Related Terms
gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, pelvis, sitting bones, hip, posterior, plump
📌 Common Collocations
- sore buttocks
- firm buttocks
- tone your buttocks
- sit on your buttocks
- injury to the buttocks
💬 Sample Sentences
- After the long hike, her buttocks were sore from sitting.
- He does squats daily to strengthen his buttocks.
- The fall landed him hard on his buttocks.
- Massage the buttocks gently to relieve tension.
- Tight jeans can pinch the buttocks uncomfortably.
🗣️ Idiomatic & Figurative Usage
- “Pain in the butt” – something annoying: “Traffic is a real pain in the butt.”
- “Get off your butt” – stop being lazy: “Get off your butt and start exercising!”
- “Smack one’s butt” – playful or flirtatious tap.
❓ Connection to Sexuality
While primarily anatomical, the buttocks can have sexual aspects in contexts of physical attraction, erotic touch, and certain intimate practices. Appreciation of the shape or firmness of the buttocks is common in many cultures’ concepts of attractiveness.
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