pubic adj.

Middle English -ik, -ick, word-forming element making adjectives, "having to do with, having the nature of, being, made of, caused by, similar to," from French -ique and directly from Latin -icus or from cognate Greek -ikos "in the manner of; pertaining to." From PIE adjective suffix *-(i)ko, which also yielded Slavic -isku, adjectival suffix indicating origin, the source of the -sky (Russian -skii) in many surnames. In chemistry, indicating a higher valence than names in -ous (first in benzoic, 1791).

In Middle English and after often spelled -ick, -ike, -ique. Variant forms in -ick (critick, ethick) were common in early Modern English and survived in English dictionaries into early 19c. This spelling was supported by Johnson but opposed by Webster, who prevailed.

"a pubic bone, bone structure that forms the anterior wall of the pelvis," 1590s, from Latin pubes (genitive pubis) "genital area, groin," via os pubis "pubic bone." Latin pubes (n.) is related to or identical with pubes (adj.) "adult, full-grown, manly," a word of uncertain origin.

1560s, "pubic hair, the pubescence of the genitals; the groin," from Latin pubes "pubescent, arrived at the age of puberty, of ripe years, grown up," also, as a noun, "a sign of puberty" (such as pubic hair), also "young men of the age of puberty" (see pubis). In 19c. also "pubic bone," and earlier "part of either hip bone that forms the front of the pelvis," from Latin os pubis, from pubes "genital area."

In modern slang, monosyllable, it is a familiar shortening of pubic hairs (see pubic).