In humans, the crotch is the bottom of the

pelvis The pelvis (: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an Anatomy, anatomical Trunk (anatomy), trunk, between the human abdomen, abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also c ...

(the region of the body where the

leg A leg is a weight-bearing and locomotive anatomical structure, usually having a columnar shape. During locomotion, legs function as "extensible struts". The combination of movements at all joints can be modeled as a single, linear element cap ...

s join the

torso The torso or trunk is an anatomical terminology, anatomical term for the central part, or the core (anatomy), core, of the body (biology), body of many animals (including human beings), from which the head, neck, limb (anatomy), limbs, tail an ...

) and is the part of the body that includes the

groin In human anatomy, the groin, also known as the inguinal region or iliac region, is the junctional area between the torso and the thigh. The groin is at the front of the body on either side of the pubic tubercle, where the lower part of the abdom ...

and genitals.

Etymology

''Crotch'' is derived from ''crutch''; it was first used in 1539 to refer to a forked stick used as a farm implement. This region of the body is also described with other terms such as ''groin'' or the lower ventral area.

In clothing

In clothing, the crotch is the area of

trousers Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants ( American, Canadian and Australian English) are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending ...

, shorts,

leggings Leggings are several types of leg attire that have varied through the years. Modern usage from the 1960s onwards has come to refer to elastic close-fitting High-rise (fashion), high-rise garments worn over the legs typically by women, such as leg ...

etc. where the legs join. The bottom of the crotch is an end of the inseam. The crotch-region on smaller garments such as underwear are sometimes referred to as the ''pouch''. Loosely-fitted or bagginess in the crotch-region is sometimes associated with a lax, casual and easy-going approach to attires or garbs. Clothing that is tight-fitting in the crotch produces an effect that is sometimes referred to by informal terms such as a ''man-bulge'' or ''moose-knuckle'' on men, and a '' camel toe'' on women, especially if the woman's

labia majora In primates, and specifically in humans, the labia majora (: labium majus), also known as the outer lips or outer labia, are two prominent Anatomical terms of location, longitudinal skin folds that extend downward and backward from the mons pubis ...

are conspicuous. Prolonged constrictive pressure of the crotch on the male genitals may increase the likelihood of detumescing.

Scope

The semantic field of the term ''crotch'' is sometimes expanded to include objects which have shapes similar to that of the anatomical human crotch. This may include botanical structures such as the area where tree branches are joined together or mechanical structures which fork or branch or where ramification takes place. The term had also been expanded to include the joining together of asymmetrical surfaces in cue sports equipment or the corners of flat surfaces usually made of quarried slate.

Depictions in artwork

The human crotch has been depicted in artwork. In Paleolithic art, forms called tectiforms or

quadrilaterals In geometry a quadrilateral is a four-sided polygon, having four edges (sides) and four corners (vertices). The word is derived from the Latin words ''quadri'', a variant of four, and ''latus'', meaning "side". It is also called a tetragon, ...

have sometimes been interpreted to be "quick visual guides, reminders to the imagination" of the female crotch, and typically do not represent the crotch hairs. Classical marble statues depict females without pubic hair; in contrast, statues of males "show curly pubic hair". For much of the history of European art – "until the late seventeenth century" – references to the female crotch were approached from above: "Art usually expressed the sense of the vulva as a point at the bottom of the belly rather than as the meeting place at the top of the thighs." Art therapists have noted "a triangular or vaginal shaped area in drawings by rape/sexual abuse victims".Coleman, Victoria D. and Phoebe M. Farris-Dufrene. 1996
''Art Therapy and Psychotherapy: Blending Two Therapeutic Approaches''
Taylor & Francis. p. 39.

References

{{reflist Parts of clothing Sexual anatomy nl:Schaamstreek ne:जाङ्घ tl:Pundya