Buttocks – Meaning and Usage in Medical English

👁 What Does “Buttocks” Mean?

Buttocks refers to the rounded, fleshy area at the back of the hips that people sit on.

The word comes from Old English buttoc, meaning “end” or “bottom.” In modern medical English, buttocks is treated as a plural noun, even when referring to the area as a whole.

In healthcare settings, this term is commonly used because it is clear, professional, and anatomically appropriate, especially when describing pain, injections, skin conditions, or pressure-related issues.

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🔍 Clinical Usage

In real medical communication, buttocks appears frequently in:

• patient charts and progress notes
• nursing documentation
• physical examination findings
• discharge summaries and care plans

Healthcare professionals use buttocks when they need to be precise and neutral, especially in written records. While patients often say “butt” in conversation, clinicians usually switch to buttocks when documenting.

You’ll often see it combined with common medical phrases such as:

• pain in the buttocks
• tenderness over the buttocks
• injection into the gluteal region of the buttocks

It’s also important to remember that buttocks is plural, so verbs should match:

• “The buttocks are tender on palpation.”

Example (clinical note):
“Patient reports pain in the buttocks after prolonged sitting.”

This distinction — patient-friendly language in speech and precise terminology in writing — is especially relevant for OET candidates, as it reflects real clinical communication.

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🎥 Watch the Short Video

👉 Watch our 20-second clip: Buttocks – Learn how to pronounce it and remember how it’s used in real medical English.

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