sciatic nerve: Meaning and Definition of

sciat'ic nerve'

Pronunciation: [key]
— Anat. Anat.
  1. either of a pair of nerves, the largest in the body, that originate in the sacral plexus of the lower back and extend down the buttocks to the back of the knees, where they divide into other nerves: the sciatic nerve and its branches innervate large areas of the pelvis, leg, and foot.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.