perineum

[ per-uh-nee-uhm ]

noun

, Anatomy.

, plural per·i·ne·a [per-, uh, -, nee, -, uh].

1. the area in front of the anus extending to the fourchette of the vulva in the female and to the scrotum in the male.
2. the diamond-shaped area corresponding to the outlet of the pelvis, containing the anus and vulva or the roots of the penis.

perineum

/ ˌpɛrɪˈniːəm /

noun

1. the region of the body between the anus and the genital organs, including some of the underlying structures
2. the nearly diamond-shaped surface of the human trunk between the thighs

perineum

/ pĕr′ə-nē′əm /

, Plural perinea

1. The region between the scrotum and the anus in males, and between the posterior vulva and the anus in females.

Derived Forms

• ˌperiˈneal, adjective

Other Words From

• per·i·ne·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of perineum¹

First recorded in 1625–35; from New Latin, from Greek períneon, períneos, perínaios, apparently equivalent to per(i)- peri- + ine-, ina-, stems of ineîn, inân to “evacuate, empty” + -(i)os, -(i)on noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of perineum¹

C17: from New Latin, from Greek perinaion, from peri- + inein to empty out

Example Sentences

Ashley Roper, 37, from Heckmondwike, suffered what is known as a buttonhole tear of her perineum while giving birth at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield in 2017.

From BBC

At that point, doctors failed to diagnose a gap which had developed in her perineum, instead advising her to carry out pelvic floor exercises and get physiotherapy.

From BBC

In one of the more stark examples, he created a character called Penelope Taynt — as in the bawdy slang term for the perineum — who was played by Bynes on “The Amanda Show.”

From Los Angeles Times

It includes diesel, talc on the perineum, nickel, aloe vera, Asian pickled vegetables and a host of chemical substances.

From BBC

Hours later, a doctor used vacuum suction to pull the baby through Maryanna's 14-year-old vaginal canal, ripping apart the skin and muscle of her perineum.

From Salon