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Glite Dictionary
sacral plexus

sacral plexus

1 7.4
A group of nerves near the lower back that send messages to the hips and legs
  • noun
  • /ˈseɪkrəl ˈplɛksəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : plexo sacral
  • A damage to the sacral plexus can lead to mobility issues in the lower body.

Examples

  • The sacral plexus is crucial for providing nerve function to the legs and pelvis.

  • The lumbar and sacral plexuses that run posterior can also be affected during pelvic trauma (see Figures 1-3).

    Academic text (2006)

  • Surgeons carefully assessed the patient's sacral plexus during the operation to avoid nerve damage.

Synonyms

plexus sacralis
vssacral plexus
  • Specialized
9.9

A network of nerves in the lower back and pelvis that controls feeling and movement in legs and pelvic area

has identical anatomical meaning but differs in naming form

Surface Forms

sacral plexus singular
sacral plexuses plural

Morphology

sacral + plexus

The meaning 'a network of nerves in the sacral region' is directly and compositionally derived from 'sacral' (pertaining to the sacrum) + 'plexus' (an interconnected network of nerves). Though anatomical and somewhat technical, this adjective + noun naming pattern is regular and cross-linguistically consistent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Sacral plexus comes from two parts: sacral, for the bone at the base of the spine, and plexus, a word for a 'braid' or 'network'. Imagine a small 'net' of nerves around that bone sending messages to the 'pelvis' and 'legs', and that is why the term names the nerve network that supplies those areas.