uterus

noun

uter·​us ˈyü-tə-rəs 

ˈyü-trəs

plural uteri ˈyü-tə-ˌrī  or uteruses

1

: a muscular organ of the female mammal for containing and usually for nourishing the young during development prior to birth

called also womb

2

: a structure in some lower animals analogous to the uterus in which eggs or young develop

Examples of uterus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The imaging can show how thick the endometrium (lining of the uterus) is and whether there are cysts, uterine or ovarian tumors, or anything else of concern. —Sarah Bence, Health, 7 Feb. 2025

The placenta is a temporary organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy to exchange nutrients and oxygen with the fetus. —Jennifer Welsh Published, Verywell Health, 3 Feb. 2025

Endometrial Hyperplasia Endometrial hyperplasia is a condition where the lining of the uterus thickens abnormally. —Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 24 Jan. 2025

Among the new conditions, endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, which can result in severe pain, scarring and infertility. —Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, belly, womb; probably akin to Greek hoderos belly, Sanskrit udara

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

uterus

noun

uter·​us ˈyüt-ə-rəs 

plural uteruses or uteri -ˌrī 

: the muscular organ of a female mammal in which the young develop before birth

called also womb

Medical Definition

uterus

noun

uter·​us ˈyüt-ə-rəs 

plural uteri -ˌrī  also uteruses

: an organ in female mammals for containing and usually for nourishing the young during development prior to birth that consists of a greatly modified and enlarged section of an oviduct (as in rodents and marsupials) or of the two oviducts united (as in the higher primates including humans), that has thick walls consisting of an outer serous layer, a very thick middle layer of smooth muscle, and an inner mucous layer containing numerous glands, and that during pregnancy undergoes great increase in size and change in the condition of its walls

called also womb

see cervix sense 2a, corpus uteri, endometrium, fundus sense c, myometrium, perimetrium