Iliac

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɪliæk/

Definitions

1. Relating to or situated in the region of the hip bones, the term can also refer to the arteries and veins associated with that area, as well as structures related to the pelvis
2. Pertaining to the prominent bones of the pelvis or the major blood vessels found in that location, it describes anatomical features and functions linked to the lower torso
3. Associated with the hip bones, this term encompasses both vascular components in the pelvic region and any related anatomical structures formed around those bones

Etymology: The bone it names is the hipbone's broad upper wing, and the word's deepest root is a Greek verb meaning "to roll" or "to twist". The Ancient Greek "eileós" meant "colic" or "intestinal blockage", a painful bowel twisting, and the Latin "īlia" (plural) came to mean the flanks or loins, the soft region of the lower belly where that pain was felt. The link between a twisted gut and the flank is the surprise: the anatomy that a physician called the flank was named for a disorder of the intestines. From "īlium", the Latin singular for the groin or flank, Late Latin formed "īliacus" by adding the adjective suffix "-acus", meaning "of or belonging to". French then produced "iliaque", and English borrowed it as "iliac" to describe the pelvic bones and the large vessels that run through that region.