umbilical

1 of 2

adjective

um·​bil·​i·​cal ˌəm-ˈbi-li-kəl How to pronounce umbilical (audio)
British also
ˌəm-bə-ˈlī-kəl How to pronounce umbilical (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or used at the navel
2
: of or relating to the central region of the abdomen
3
: being a necessary or nurturing link or connection
the town's umbilical rail line

umbilical

2 of 2

noun

Examples of umbilical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
There are two types of ventral hernias: umbilical and incisional. Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2024 Does the fact that EVA in the new ones require an umbilical chord make any difference? Jim Clash, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
Noun
Menon and Poteet stayed behind for the duration, monitoring the spacecraft’s health and wrangling the trailing 3.5-meter-long life-support umbilicals that provided oxygen, power and other essentials to the spacewalking pair. Lee Billings, Scientific American, 12 Sep. 2024 The astronauts receive oxygen through umbilicals, similar to the spacewalks of the Gemini missions in the 1960s. Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for umbilical 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'umbilical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from New Latin umbilīcālis, from Latin umbilīcus "navel, central point" + -ālis -al entry 1 — more at umbilicus

Noun

by ellipsis

First Known Use

Adjective

1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1774, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of umbilical was in 1541

Dictionary Entries Near umbilical

Cite this Entry

“Umbilical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/umbilical. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

umbilical

adjective
um·​bil·​i·​cal
ˌəm-ˈbil-i-kəl also ˌəm-bə-ˈlī-kəl
1
: of, relating to, or used at the navel
umbilical infection
2
: of or relating to the central abdominal region that is situated between the right and left lumbar regions and between the epigastric region above and the hypogastric region below
umbilical pain

More from Merriam-Webster on umbilical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!