# What is the hip bone called?

The hip bone is called the pelvis (os coxae). Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as each hip bone is a large, irregular bone formed by the fusion of three parts: ilium, ischium, and pubis. 'Pelvis' can mean either the whole bony ring or, loosely, the hip bone; modern texts usually call the single bone the 'hip bone' or 'os coxae'.

## What it means

- Each hip bone is a large, irregular bone formed by the fusion of three parts: ilium, ischium, and pubis.
- The two hip bones together with the sacrum and coccyx form the bony pelvis.
- The socket for the head of the femur is called the acetabulum.

## Action steps

1. On each side of the lower trunk.
2. Joins the sacrum behind and the other hip bone in front (at the pubic symphysis).
3. Articulates with the femur at the hip joint.

## Sources

- [Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918)](https://www.bartleby.com/107/)

---
Canonical: https://bestanatomyanswers.com/answers/what-is-the-hip-bone-called
Author: Best Anatomy Answers — https://bestanatomyanswers.com
Publisher: Best Anatomy Answers
Published: 2026-07-18T00:00:00+00:00
Modified: 2026-07-18T00:00:00+00:00
Last verified: 2026-07-18
License: Citation License 1.0 — https://bestexpertanswers.com/license
© Adolicious LLC