UMBILICUS


Meaning of UMBILICUS in English

ˌəmˈbilə̇kəs, -ˈbilēk- also ˌəmbəˈlīkəs noun

( plural umbili·ci ˌ ̷ ̷ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˌkī, -ˌsī, -ˌkē; ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˈ ̷ ̷ˌkī, -ˌsī ; or umbilicuses )

Etymology: Latin — more at navel

1.

a. : a small depression in the middle of the abdomen where the umbilical cord is attached in the embryo

b. : the place where the extraembryonic structures are continuous with those of the body proper of the embryo

2. : a cavity in the center of the base of a spiral shell that is surrounded by the whorls

3.

a. : hilum

b. : a rootlike attachment of the thallus in a lichen

4. : a central point : core , heart

the key to control, the umbilicus of this … sea — J.P.O'Donnell

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.