Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of or relating to the ischium or to the region of the hipbone in which it is located.
  • adjective Of or relating to sciatica.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Pertaining to, connected with, or issuing from the hip; ischiac, ischiadic, or ischiatic: as, the sciatic nerve, artery, vein, or ligament.
  • Affecting parts about the hip, especially the sciatic nerve; affected with or suffering from sciatica.
  • noun A sciatic part or organ; especially, a sciatic nerve.
  • noun plural Sciatica.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the hip; in the region of, or affecting, the hip; ischial; ischiatic.
  • noun (Med.) Sciatica.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Of, or relating to the ischium.
  • adjective Of, or relating to sciatica.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective relating to or caused by or afflicted with sciatica
  • adjective of or relating to the ischium (or the part of the hipbone containing it)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French sciatique, from Old French, from Medieval Latin sciaticus, alteration of Latin ischiadicus, from Greek iskhiadikos, from iskhias, iskhiad-, sciatica, from iskhion, hip.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Late Latin sciaticus, variant of Latin ischiadicus, from Greek ἰσχιαδικος, from ἰσχίον, "hip".

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Examples

  • That back of mine, he wrote John Morris in June 1953, continues to hurt and the third professor to examine him found that I had a displaced disk in my vertebrae which inflamed the so-called sciatic nerve and the pain was and is unbearable.

    The Great Escape Kati Marton 2006

  • That back of mine, he wrote John Morris in June 1953, continues to hurt and the third professor to examine him found that I had a displaced disk in my vertebrae which inflamed the so-called sciatic nerve and the pain was and is unbearable.

    The Great Escape Kati Marton 2006

  • Thus a better indicator is something called the sciatic notch, which is in the stronger, posterior section of these large bones.

    The Goddess and the Bull MICHAEL BALTER 2005

  • The other notches, one on either side, are formed by the sacrum and coccyx behind, the ischium in front, and the ilium above; they are called the sciatic notches; in the natural state they are converted into foramina by the sacrotuberous and sacrospinous ligaments.

    II. Osteology. 6c. 2. The Pelvis 1918

  • "The best results for percutaneous discectomy are in patients that we would commonly call sciatic type pain.

    TheBostonChannel.com - News 2010

  • A friend recently called a doctor to make an appointment for an epidural shot for his sciatic back pain.

    Tom Alderman: Memo to Doctors: We're Not Just Patients, We Are Your Customers! Tom Alderman 2011

  • The British No1 suffers with liver problems, which held her back in the early years of her career, and has been troubled by injuries, requiring a back operation due to a prolapsed disc and sciatic pain in 2006.

    Elena Baltacha considers bowing out after 2012 Olympic Games 2011

  • Further experiments showed that HCN2-deleted mice and control mice with a minor sciatic nerve injury exhibited different responses to extreme temperatures and stimuli that would normally enhance neuropathic pain.

    To Keep Hearing Young, Play an Instrument Ann Lukits 2011

  • There are no damaged disks, the nerves are all back in place (including the sciatic nerve), the core of the spine is perfect, and the outside shell of the spine is perfect.

    One small step for back pain relief, one giant leap for me! | Northern Belle 2010

  • A friend recently called a doctor to make an appointment for an epidural shot for his sciatic back pain.

    Tom Alderman: Memo to Doctors: We're Not Just Patients, We Are Your Customers! Tom Alderman 2011

Comments

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  • I've never seen this word used as a noun before, as in this (archaic) usage:

    "'It is not there that it hurts,' he said in a surprisingly strong voice. 'It is in my goddam leg.'

    "'Nonsense, my dear,' said Stephen. 'That is only referred pain from the great sciatic. We are on the very spot itself. It is a pistol-ball lodged between two vertebrae.' He tapped the general region.

    "'There? I thought that was the kick of a horse—nothing much at the time.'

    "'We are all of us fallible.'"

    --Patrick O'Brian, The Letter of Marque, 199

    February 29, 2008

  • Apparently it refers to the hip, or a region near the hip, although this doesn't fit with the citation below.

    February 29, 2008

  • I think he means the sciatic nerve.

    February 29, 2008