noun
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Technical name: umbilicus. the scar in the centre of the abdomen, usually forming a slight depression, where the umbilical cord was attached
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a central part, location, or point; middle
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short for navel orange
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of navel
before 900; Middle English; Old English nafela; cognate with Dutch navel, German Nabel, Old Norse nafli; akin to Sanskrit nābhīla, Latin umbilīcus, Greek omphalós
Explanation
If you look down at your stomach, you can see your navel. It’s that weird-looking round depression in the middle of your belly, unless you have an "outie," in which case it pokes out instead of in. Your navel is actually a large scar that was caused by the removal of the umbilical cord when you were born, also known as your belly button. The word can also be used figuratively for a center point, like how the navel is in the center of your stomach. You might call New York City the navel of the arts scene in the United States. Careful: navels have nothing to do with the Navy, that would be naval.
Vocabulary lists containing navel
Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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Gross, Anatomy!
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"The Banana Tree," Vocabulary from the short story
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I had the kombu-cured Japanese hamachi with navel orange, capers, chili, and kohlrabi—bright, balanced, and just a little spicy.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2026
If you get a stud in your navel or a little tattoo on your ankle, you aren’t likely to look back later and kick yourself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
Lose, though, and it's navel gazing time again.
From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2024
“Navel orangeworm could be a nightmare … but it could also become less of a problem because all the things that eat it benefit more from the heat than the navel orangeworm,” said Haviland.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2024
“With patience, you can see the navel of an ant,” I said, recalling one of Papa’s favorite Haitian proverbs.
From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat
Like other rorqual whales, humpbacks’ throats expand in rubbery pleats reaching down to their navels.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 20, 2018
I found the Sparklers—flavored water—to be nauseating: full of artificial flavors that reminded me of gas-station fuzzy navels.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 21, 2015
I don’t spend much time thinking about other people’s navels.
From Time ● Mar. 6, 2015
The best additions to books are the ones that do less gazing at navels and more reporting of new, relevant material.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 26, 2015
It covered the dwarfs’ feet, and then it came up to their navels.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
