umbilicus

[ uhm-bil-i-kuhs, uhm-buh-lahy-kuhs ]

noun,plural um·bil·i·ci [uhm-bil-uh-sahy, uhm-buh-lahy-sahy]. /ʌmˈbɪl əˌsaɪ, ˌʌm bəˈlaɪ saɪ/.
  1. Anatomy. the depression in the center of the surface of the abdomen indicating the point of attachment of the umbilical cord to the embryo; navel.

  2. Botany, Zoology. a navellike formation, as the hilum of a seed.

Origin of umbilicus

1
1605–15; <Latin umbilīcus navel, middle, center; see navel

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use umbilicus in a sentence

  • The end of the roll was fastened to a stick (usually referred to as umbilicus or umbilici).

    The Care of Books | John Willis Clark

British Dictionary definitions for umbilicus

umbilicus

/ (ʌmˈbɪlɪkəs, ˌʌmbɪˈlaɪkəs) /


nounplural -bilici (-ˈbɪlɪˌsaɪ, -bɪˈlaɪsaɪ)
  1. biology a hollow or navel-like structure, such as the cavity at the base of a gastropod shell

  2. anatomy a technical name for the navel

Origin of umbilicus

1
C18: from Latin: navel, centre; compare Latin umbō shield boss, Greek omphalos navel

Derived forms of umbilicus

  • umbiliform (ʌmˈbɪlɪˌfɔːm), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012