sciatic nerve

noun

, Anatomy.

1. either of a pair of nerves, the largest in the body, that originate in the sacral plexus of the lower back and extend down the buttocks to the back of the knees, where they divide into other nerves: the sciatic nerve and its branches innervate large areas of the pelvis, leg, and foot.

sciatic nerve

/ sī-ăt′ĭk /

1. A thick nerve that arises in the lower part of the spine and passes through the pelvis on its way to the back of the leg. It carries sensory information from the leg to the central nervous system and controls the action of many muscles. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sciatic nerve¹

First recorded in 1735–45

Example Sentences

But at intervals, throughout the rest of his life, the sciatic nerve would remind him of that lonely watch.

From Project Gutenberg

The great sciatic nerve was injured, but the woman recovered, though she remained lame.

From Project Gutenberg

Diseased conditions of the sciatic nerve occurred in the offspring of guinea-pigs in which this nerve was divided.

From Project Gutenberg

He found that certain lesions of the spinal cord, or the brain or the sciatic nerve, give rise in guinea-pigs to epilepsy.

From Project Gutenberg

Appearance of epilepsy also in animals born of parents which had been rendered epileptic by section of the sciatic nerve.

From Project Gutenberg