Pelves

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The lower part of the trunk in human anatomy, enclosing the pelvic organs
2. The basin-shaped structure formed by the hip bones, supporting the spine and connecting to the legs
3. A collection of bones comprising the pelvic girdle, serving as an attachment point for the lower limbs and housing reproductive organs

Etymology: "Pelves" is the plural of "pelvis," so its history is the history of that singular noun. The Latin "pelvis" meant "basin," a bowl for holding water, and the anatomical sense comes from the way the hip bones form a bowl-shaped ring at the base of the trunk. The Latin word itself descends from an earlier form, "pēluis," which was already a word for a basin, though its deeper origin is uncertain. The shift from kitchen vessel to skeleton is a matter of shape rather than function. Classical writers used the word for ordinary household basins and washing vessels, and anatomists later borrowed it because the ring of bones looked like one. English took the term directly from Latin in its anatomical use, so the plural follows the Latin pattern, with "pelves" keeping the ending of the original third-declension noun.