Buttocks

The buttocks (singular: buttock) are two rounded portions of the anatomy,
Buttocks
located on the posterior of the pelvic region of primates (including humans), and
many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on
the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. The two gluteus maximus
muscles stabilise the hip joint and are the largest muscles in the entire human
body; responsible for propelling the entire body forward when running and
walking, ensuring the proper functioning of the entire leg [1] . Physiologically,
the buttocks enable weight to be taken off the feet while sitting. In many
cultures, they play a role in sexual attraction.[2] Some cultures, such as that of
Victorian England, have also used the buttocks as a primary target for corporal
punishment,[3] as the buttocks' layer of subcutaneous fat offers protection
against injury while still allowing for the infliction of pain. There are several
connotations of buttocks in art, fashion, culture and humor, and the English
language is replete with many popular synonyms that range from polite
colloquialisms ("posterior", "backside" or "bottom") to vulgar slang ("arse,"
"ass," "bum," "butt," "booty," "prat"). In humans the buttocks are located
between the lower back and theperineum.

Buttocks of a female (upper) and a male

(lower).
Contents Details
Anatomy Artery Superior gluteal artery, inferior
Society and culture gluteal artery
Connotations
Nerve Superior gluteal nerve, inferior
Synonyms
gluteal nerve, superior cluneal
Related terms
Fashion nerves, medial cluneal nerves,
In popular culture inferior cluneal nerves

See also Identifiers

References Latin Clunis
External links MeSH D002081
TA A01.1.00.033

Anatomy FMA 76446

Anatomical terminology
The buttocks are formed by the masses of the gluteal muscles or "glutes" (the
gluteus maximus muscle and the gluteus medius muscle) superimposed by a layer of fat. The superior aspect of the buttock ends at
the iliac crest, and the lower aspect is outlined by the horizontal gluteal crease. The gluteus maximus has two insertion points: 1⁄3
superior portion of the linea aspera of the femur, and the superior portion of the iliotibial tractus. The masses of the gluteus maximus
muscle are separated by an intermediateintergluteal cleft or "crack" in which theanus is situated.

The buttocks allow primates to sit upright without needing to rest their weight on their feet as four-legged animals do. Females of
certain species of baboon have red buttocks that blush to attract males. In the case of humans, females tend to have proportionally
wider and thicker buttocks due to higher subcutaneous fat and proportionally wider hips. In humans they also have a role in
[4][5]
propelling the body in a forward motion and aiding bowel movement.
Some baboons and all gibbons, though otherwise fur-covered, have characteristic naked callosities on their buttocks. While human
children generally have smooth buttocks, mature males and females have varying degrees of hair growth, as on other parts of their
body. Females may have hair growth in the gluteal cleft (including around the anus), sometimes extending laterally onto the lower
aspect of the cheeks. Males may have hair growth over some or all of the buttocks.

Society and culture

Connotations
The English word of Greek origin "callipygian" indicates someone who has
beautiful buttocks. However, the qualities that make buttocks beautiful or well-
formed are not fixed, as sexual aesthetics of the buttocks vary considerably from
culture to culture, from one period of fashion to another and even from person to
person.

Depending on the context, exposure of the buttocks in non-intimate situations can

cause feelings of embarrassment or humiliation, and embarrassment or amusement
in an onlooker (see pantsing). Willfully exposing one's own bare buttocks as a Students at Stanford University
protest, a provocation, or just for fun is calledmooning. conduct a "mass-mooning" in May
1995
In many punitive traditions, the buttocks are a common target for corporal
punishment, which can be meted out with no risk of long-term physical harm
compared with the dangers of applying it to other parts of the body, such as the hands, which could easily be damaged.[6] Within the
Victorian school system in England, the buttocks have been described as "the place provided by nature" for this purpose.[3] A
modern-day example can be seen in some Southeast Asian countries, such as Singapore. Caning in Singapore is widely used as a
form of judicial corporal punishment, with male convicts being sentenced to acaning on their bare buttocks.

In Western and some other cultures, many comedians, writers and others rely on the buttocks as a source of amusement, camaraderie
and fun. There are numerous colloquial terms for the buttocks.

In American English, phrases use the buttocks or synonyms (especially "butt" and "ass") as a synecdoche or pars pro toto for a whole
person, often with a negative connotation. For example, terminating an employee may be described as "firing his ass". One might say
"move your ass" or "haul ass" as an exhortation to greater haste or urgency. Expressed as a function of punishment, defeat or assault
becomes "kicking one's ass". Such phrases also may suggest a person's characteristics, e.g. dif
ficult people are termed "hard asses". In
America an annoying person or any source of frustration may be termed "a pain in the ass" (a synonym for "a pain in the neck").
People deemed excessively puritanical or proper may be termed "tight asses" (in Australia and New Zealand, "tight arse" refers to
someone who is excessively miserly).

In the 2010s, the reality TV star Kim Kardashian is famous for her curvaceous buttocks, which have appeared on magazine covers.
Kardashian appeared on the cover, and in a pictorial in Paper's winter issue in 2014 photographed by Jean-Paul Goude.[7] On the
cover, her nude buttocks are featured above the caption: "Break the Internet", which generated considerable comment in both social
and traditional media.[8][9]

Certain physical dispositions of the buttocks—particularly size—are sometimes identified, controversially, as a racial characteristic
(see race). A famous example was the case ofSaartjie Baartman, the so-called "Hottentot Venus".

Synonyms

See WikiSaurus:buttocks for a list of synonyms and slang words for buttocks in many
languages. For unrelated homophones of butt(ocks), see also butt (disambiguation) and bud
(disambiguation)
The Latin name for the buttocks is nates (English pronunciation /ˈneɪtiːz/,[10]
classical pronunciation nătes [ˈnateːs][11]) which is plural; the singular, natis
(buttock), is rarely used. There are many colloquial terms to refer to them, including:

Backside, posterior, behind and its derivates(hind-quarters, hinder or

the childish diminutive "heinie" (US usage only), strictly the whole body
behind the hind leg-trunk attachment), rear orrear-end, derrière (French
for "behind")—all strictly positional descriptions, as the inaccurate use of
rump (as in 'rump roast', after a 'hot' spanking), thighs, upper legs;
analogous are:
A burlesque stage show with three
Aft, stern and poop, naval in origin; in nautical jargon, buttocks also men in Las Vegas
designates the aftermost portion of ahull above the water line and in
front of the rudder, merging with the run belowthe water line
Caboose, originally a ship's galley in wooden cabin on deck; also the
"rear end" car of a freight train, considered a cute synonym suitable
for any audience
Bottom (and the shortening "bot" as well as childish diminutives
"bottie" or "botty"), but the use of similar-sounding booty"
" or "bootie"
may be related.
Tail (strictly anatomically azoomorphism, humans only have a tail-
bone, yet the illogical "tail feather" was popularized by musicians.
When used to refer to a woman or to women in general, the term is
derogatory; also used for the even more sensualphallus) and tail-
end
Trunk, in American English, particularly whendescribing large
Seattle's nudist cyclists with painted
buttocks: "junk in the trunk"
buttocks
Apple, referring to the similar shape of the fruit, derived from the 1970s.
Also likened to an upside-down heart, attributed from various, popular
ads of the 1970s.
Arse or ass, arsehole or asshole, and (butt-)hole: a pars pro toto (strictly only the
actual body cavity and directly adjoining anal region); also used as an insult for a
person. The term arse or ass isAnglo-Saxon, and over a thousand years old.
Badonkadonk: onomatopoeic US slang meaning the voluptuously bouncing,
large yet firm buttocks of a woman
Booty, US slang, used in the popular slang expression "booty call". It has been
suggested that the word derives from aBambara (West African) word for anus,
buda.[12]
Breech, a metaphorical sense derived from on older form of the garment
breeches (as the French culotte meaning pantoloons, viacul from Latin culus
"butt"), so 'bare breech' means without breeches,i.e., trouserless butt
Bum: in British English, used frequently in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada,
Australia, New Zealand and many other English-speaking Commonwealth
countries, also historically in the United States, is a mild often humorous term for
buttocks, not necessarily in a vulgar or sexual context: "I've a boil on my bum, Japanese man in a
thrice as large as my thumb" (The Judge With The Sore Rump, St. George traditional swimwear
Tucker). A bum boy is an insulting term for a male homosexual.
Fundoshi-rokushaku
Bumpy: a euphemistic term for the buttocks, used primarily with children
Buns, from Gaelic bun "bottom, base", mounds (cfr. Butte, a geographical
mound, known since 1805 in American English, from (Old) Frenchbutte "mound,
knoll") and orbs—shape-metaphors.
Bund: derived from Punjabi
Bunda: Brazilian Portuguese slang for buttocks, fromKimbundu mbunda, with same meaning.
Butt: the common term for a pair of buttocks in the US (singular , as one body-part; cognate but neither its root nor an
abbreviation), used in everyday speech.
Cakes: slang word for buttocks
Can (a container) had an unusual development: the slang meaning "toilet" is recorded c. 1900, said to be a
shortening of piss-can, the meaning "buttocks" from c. 1910, and the verb meaning "fire an employee" (to
flush=dump?) from 1905.
Cheeks, a shape-metaphor within human anatomy , but also used in the singular: left cheek and right cheek; sounds
particularly naughty because of the homonym and the adjective cheeky , lending themselves to word puns
Culo: (From Spanish/Italian) slang, usually meaning a woman's voluptuous, round and firm buttocks. Derived from a
term for booty; in Spanish the term is considered vulgar and of fensive, but less so in Spain than in Latin America.
 Duffs: Ulster Irish origin
Dumper sometimes denotes the buttocks, especially when they are
large.
Fanny: a socially acceptable term in print, in Canada and the United
States at least, for many years before some of the bolder terms came
along; and a subject of jokes, since "Fannie" can be a woman's name,
diminutive of "Frances"; however, in British English fanny refers to the
female genitals or vulva and is considered vulgar. The figure of a bare-
bottomed lass named Fanny is ubiquitous in Provence (the southeast of
France) wherever pétanque is played: traditionally when a player loses
13 to 0 it is said that “il est fanny” (he's fanny), and he has to kiss the Some female clothing, such as the
bottom of a girl called Fanny; as there is rarely an obliging Fanny , there
bikini, show part of the female
is always a substitute picture, woodcarving or pottery so that Fanny’ s
buttocks. Thongs, in particular, leave
bottom is always available.[13]
almost all of the buttocks exposed.
Fourth point of contact: in military slang, because of the sequence of
textbook parachute jump landing
Fundament (literally "foundation", not common in this general sense in
English, but for the buttocks since 1297)
Gand or Gaand: a Hindi derivative
Hams, like buttocks generally as a plural, after the meat cut from the
analogous part of a hog ; pressed ham refers to mooning against a
window; brawn, a singular derived from the Frankish for ham or roast, is
also used for both a muscular body part (but either on arms or legs) or
boar meat, especially roast
Hurdies: Scots, origin unknown, also applied to the whole rump
Haunches
Moon was a common shape-metaphor for the butt in English since
1756, and the verb to moon meant 'to expose to (moon)light' since 1601,
long before they were combined in US student slang in the verb (al
expression) mooning "to flash the buttocks" in 1968.
Prat (British English, origin unknown; as inpratfall, a music hall term;
also a term of abuse for a person)
Seat (of the trousers; or metaphorically): another long-standing socially Posterior view of human female and
acceptable term, referring to the use for sitting—but compare the male to show the comparison of their
sarcastic use of seat of wisdom and similar expressions, such as 'seat
of learning', referring to use as target for an 'educational'spanking. buttocks
Sit-upon; has various independent counterparts in other languages,e.g.,
Dutch zitvlak ("sitting plain"), GermanGesäß Italian sedere
Six; in military terminology, particularly in the United States Navy, it refers to the term "six o'clock",i.e., a point
directly behind the referenced person.
Tuchis: Yiddish.
Tush or tushy (from theYiddish language "tuchis" or "tochis" meaning "under" or "beneath")
Ultimatum (Latin, literally 'the furthest part') was used in slang c.1820s.

Related terms
The word "callipygian" is sometimes used to describe someone with notably attractive buttocks. The term comes
from the Greek kallipygos, (first used for the Venus Kallipygos) which literally means "beautiful buttocks"; the prefix is
also a root of "calligraphy" (beautiful writing) and "calliope" (beautiful voice);
callimammapygian means having both
beautiful breasts and buttocks.
Both the English (in) tails and the Dutch billentikker ('tapping the buttocks') are ironic terms for very formal coats with
a significantly longer tail end as part of festive (especially wedding party) dress
Macropygia means 'heaving large buttocks, hindquarter', and occurs in biological species names,
A pygopag(ous) (from the Greek pygè 'buttock' and pagein 'attached') was a monster in Ancient (Greek) mythology
consisting of two bodies joint by common buttocks, now a medical term for 'Siamese' twins thus joint back-to-back
Pygophilia is sexual arousal or excitement caused by seeing, playing with or touching the buttocks; people who have
strong attraction to buttocks are calledpygophilists.
Pygoscopia means observing someone's rear;pygoscopophobia a pathological fear to be its unwilling object
Pygalgia is soreness in the buttocks, i.e. a pain in the rump.
Steatopygia is a marked accumulation of fat in and around the buttocks.
Uropygial in ornithology means situated on or belonging to theuropygium, i.e. the rump of a bird.
 "Bubble butt" has at least two connotations, which are at odds with each other: either a small, round and firm pair of
buttocks resembling a pair of soap bubbles next to each other, or a large rear end, seemingly about to burst from the
strain. In both cases, the term implies an appealing shapeliness about the buttocks.

Fashion
The 1880s were well known for the fashion trend among women called the bustle,
which made even the smallest buttocks appear huge. The popularity of this fashion is
shown in the famous Georges Seurat painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of
La Grande Jatte in the two women to the far left and right. Like long underwear
with the ubiquitous "butt flap" (used to allow baring only the bottom with a simple
gesture, as for hygiene), this clothing style was acknowledged in popular media such
as cartoons and comics for generations afterward.

More recently, the cleavage of the buttocks is sometimes exposed by some women, George Seurat's 1884 painting A
Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La
deliberately or accidentally, as fashion dictated trousers be worn lower, as with hip-
Grande Jatte depicts a woman on
hugger pants.
the right with a prominentbustle
under her dress.
An example of another attitude in an otherwise hardly exhibitionist culture is the
Japanese fundoshi.

In popular culture
In 1966 Yoko Ono made a roughly 90 minute-long experimental film calledNo. 4,
which is colloquially known asBottoms. It consists of footage of human buttocks
in motion while the person walks on a turntable.
The 1984 Heavy metal music mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap contained the
song "Big Bottom" featuring the lyricsBig bottom, big bottom, Talk about bum
cakes, my girl's got 'em, Big bottom drive me out of my mind, How could I leave
this behind? The band performs the song using three simultaneousbass guitars,
a pun on the song title, as the bass is often colloquially referred to as the "bottom
end" of the rock sound.
Numerous songs have been released which glorify this body part.As early as
1961, the American Folk band The Limeliters recorded the song "Vicki Dougan"
[sic], which pays a humorous tribute to thepin-up star Vikki Dougan who wore
infamously low-cut, backlessdresses. A risque song for the time, the lyrics
mention her "callipygian cleft" by name. Other English-language examples
include:

"(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty" by KC and the Sunshine Band
(1976) Models participate in "got
The singles "Fat Bottomed Girls" and "Bicycle Race" by Queen (1978) ass?", a competition to
"Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot (1992) judge the woman with best
"I See You Baby (Shakin' That Ass)" byGroove Armada (1999) buttocks, at AVN Adult
"Bootylicious" by Destiny's Child (2001) Entertainment Expo, Las
"Pop That Booty" by Marques Houston (2003) Vegas, 2014.
"My Humps" (in the back and in the front) byThe Black Eyed Peas (2005)
"Ms. New Booty" by Bubba Sparxxx and Ying Yang Twins (2005)
"All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor (2014)
Rolling Stone magazine named the 1990s the "Decade of the Butt" because many buttock-related songs were
released in that decade.
In the United Kingdom there is an annual award given to themale and female winners of the celebrity voted to have
the Rear of the Year for that year. Past Winners have includedSarah Lancashire and Jane Danson.
In 2008, Hong Kong lifestyle retail storeG.O.D. collaborated with Kee Wah Bakery to design mooncakes for the
Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. They presented the traditional treats in the shape of bottoms in eight dif
ferent
[14]
designs, but still filled with traditional white lotus seed paste and salted yolks.
Beauty pageants exist globally to judge the females with the best buttocks, such as Miss Bum Bum (Brazil), Miss
Reef (South American countries) andgot ass? (USA).
 Jean-Jacques Lequeu (c. Félix Vallotton (c. 1884).
1785).

See also
Buttock augmentation
Buttock cleavage
Cultural history of the buttocks
Cellulite
Coccyx
Dimples of Venus
Hip and buttock padding
Intimate part
Waist–hip ratio

References
Notes

1. www.refrence.com/science/gluteus-maximus-543e8854558908e7
2. Hennig, Jean-Luc (1995).The rear view: A brief and elegant history of bottoms through the ages
. London: Souvenir.
ISBN 0-285-63303-1.
3. "Police" (http://www.corpun.com/uks89403.htm). The Times. London. 22 March 1894.""Mr. Curtis Bennett
deprecated caning on the hands and boxing the ears, and said they were exceedingly dangerous forms of
punishment. Nature provided a special place for boys to be punished upon and it should be used.
"
4. Foundations of Osteopathic Medicine, Page 586, Anthony G. Chila - 2010
5. Recent Advances in Pediatrics, 2013 Suraj Gupte, p 141
6. Zeno Chicarilli, M.D. et al."Corporal Punishment to Children's Hands: A Statement by Medical Authorities as to the
Risks" (http://nospank.net/hands.htm). NoSpank.net. 3 January 2002.
7. Muller, Marissa G. (November 12, 2014)."Meet The Man Behind Kim Kardashian's 'Break The Internet' Cover: Jean-
Paul Goude" (http://www.mtv.com/news/1996116/jean-paul-goode-kim-kardashian-grace-jones/)
. MTV News.
Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
8. Rothman, Michael (November 12, 2014)."Kim Kardashian Leaves Little to Imagination in Raciest Magazine Cover
Yet" (http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/kim-kardashian-leaves-imagination-racy-magazine-cover/story?id=26857
961). ABC News. Disney Media Networks. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
9. Fortini, Amanda (November 2014)."NO FILTER: An Afternoon With Kim Kardashian" (http://www.papermag.com/20
14/11/kim_kardashian.php). Paper. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
10. "nates - Definitions from Dictionary.com" (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=nates).
11. A New Dictionary of the Latin and English Languages, published W
ard, Lock & Co., London, 1908
12. Elijah Wald, Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, snaps, and the deep roots of Rap
, Oxford University Press,
2012, p.206
13. "Pétanque. La Fanny, Légende" (https://web.archive.org/web/20090202152310/http://laboulebleue.fr/fr/html/fanny .ht
m#). Laboulebleue.fr. Archived from the original (http://www.laboulebleue.fr/fr/html/fanny.htm) on 2009-02-02.
Retrieved 2011-12-18.
14. "Hong Kong Lifestyle Brand G.O.D. Puts The "Moon" In Mooncakes"(http://www.jingdaily.com/hong-kong-lifestyle-br
and-g-o-d-puts-the-moon-in-mooncakes/20484/). Jing Daily. 29 August 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.

Sources

Etymology on line one can also search for most synonyms

For synonyms: On-line thesaurus
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913).
"article name needed". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton. passim

External links
"The Muscles and Fasciæ of the Thigh"(by Henry Gray) at "Anatomy of the Human Body", 1918.

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