Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

Omphalos

 - 5 dictionary results

om⋅pha⋅los

  [om-fuh-luhs]
Use Omphalos in a Sentence
–noun
1. the navel; umbilicus.
2. the central point.
3. Greek Antiquity. a stone in the temple of Apollo at Delphi, thought to mark the center of the earth.
Origin:
1840–50; < Gk omphalós; akin to navel
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Omphalos
om·pha·los   (ŏm'fə-lŏs', -ləs)   
n.   pl. om·pha·li (-lī)

  1. The navel.

  2. A central part; a focal point.


[Greek; see nobh- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

omphalos 
"sacred stone," 1850, from Gk., lit. "navel," also "hub" (as the center point), from PIE *ombh-alo-, from base *nobh-/*ombh- "navel" (see navel). The name of the rounded stone in the shrine at Delphi, regarded by the ancients as the center of the world.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: om·pha·los
Pronunciation: 'äm(p)-f&-"läs, -l&s
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural om·pha·li /-"lI, -"lE/
: NAVEL
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

omphalos om·pha·los (ŏm'fə-lŏs', -ləs)
n. pl. om·pha·li (-lī')
The navel.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see Omphalos on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way