sciatic nerve

sciatic nerve   n.  A sensory and motor nerve originating in the sacral plexus and running through the pelvis and upper leg.

Main Entry: sciatic nerve
Function: noun
: either of the pair of largest nerves in the body that arise one on each side from the sacral plexus and that pass out of thepelvis through the greater sciatic foramen and down the back of the thigh to its lower third where division into the tibial and common peroneal nerves occurs

sciatic nerve n.
A nerve that arises from the sacral plexus and passes through the greater sciatic foramen to about the middle of the thigh where it divides into the common peroneal and tibial nerves.

sciatic nerve   (sī-āt'ĭk)  Pronunciation Key  A thick nerve that arises in the lower part of the spine and passes through the pelvis on its way to the back of the leg. It carries sensory information from the leg to the central nervous system and controls the action of many muscles. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body.

sciatic nerve

largest and thickest nerve of the human body that is the principal continuation of all the roots of the sacral plexus. It emerges from the spinal cord in the lumbar portion of the spine and runs down through the buttocks and the back of the thigh; above the back of the knee it divides into the tibial and the common peroneal nerve, both of which serve the lower leg and foot

Learn more about sciatic nerve with a free trial on Britannica.com.