Pygopagus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A rare medical phenomenon characterized by two individuals united at the rear end of the body
2. This term describes a specific condition of conjoined twins that are connected at the buttocks region
3. Refers to conjoined twins who are physically connected at the rear torso area

Etymology: Conjoined twins fused at the buttocks have a name built from two Greek elements. "Pygo-" comes from Greek "pygē", meaning rump or buttocks, and "-pagus" comes from Greek "pagos", meaning something fixed or fastened, as in "pēgnynai", to fasten. Put together, the term describes twins fastened together at the rear. The word belongs to the medical vocabulary of conjoined twinning, a category that Greek-based coinages built for describing congenital fusions. Its parts are combined in the same way as other terms in this group, where the suffix names the place of joining and the first element names the body region involved. A pygopagus pair is joined at the sacrum or buttocks, usually facing in opposite directions.