vagina
Americannoun
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Anatomy, Zoology.
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the passage leading from the uterus to the vulva in certain female mammals.
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a sheathlike part or organ.
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Botany. the sheath formed by the basal part of certain leaves where they embrace the stem.
noun
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the moist canal in most female mammals, including humans, that extends from the cervix of the uterus to an external opening between the labia minora
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anatomy biology any sheath or sheathlike structure, such as a leaf base that encloses a stem
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of vagina
1675–85; < New Latin; Latin vāgīna sheath
Compare meaning
How does vagina compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
The vagina is a canal-like area in women stretching from the uterus to the labia. Vaginas are pretty important, since they're crucial for birth and sex. A vagina is an opening in a woman's body that goes back to her uterus. In sex, the man's penis goes into the vagina. In birth, the baby comes out of the vagina. That makes vaginas pretty crucial to life. Without a vagina, there'd be no babies in the womb, and even if there were, they'd have no way to get out of the womb and be born.
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:
To insert an IUD, a clinician opens the vagina using a speculum and grips the cervix with a type of forceps, which can cause a sudden, sharp pain.
From Slate ● Jun. 7, 2026
This condition, often termed radiation-induced vaginal stenosis, involves the development of scar tissue that makes the vagina shorter, narrower, drier, and less flexible which can trigger cuts and damage to the tissue.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
PIEZO2, in contrast, is located in sensory nerves in the cervix and vagina.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 13, 2026
A woman who lost a kidney, her womb and parts of her vagina and bowel due to endometriosis has urged others to fight for a diagnosis of what she has described as a "silent assassin".
From BBC ● May 1, 2025
The two ducts continuous with the gonads open by a common vagina on to the exterior behind the male pores.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 7 "Cerargyrite" to "Charing Cross" by Various
UK chain Lloyd's Pharmacy says it's "normal for vaginas and vaginal fluids to have a slight smell, which will vary according to hormones, activity, hygiene and diet".
From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2023
Beyond being an important technological advance, she says, the interest of someone like Ingber—whom she calls the “godfather” of organ chip technology—may help to normalize research on vaginas.
From Scientific American ● Dec. 15, 2022
“Historically, the anatomy and physiology of bodies with vaginas have been neglected,” the journal’s Sept. 25 issue cover proclaimed in blue ink, centering the text on a blank white background.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 1, 2021
Some women lack a hymen, a membrane that partly covers vaginas and can also change as a girl matures due to hormonal change.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 4, 2019
“Tissue biopsies, MRI scans and internal exams using magnification all showed that the engineered vaginas were similar in makeup and function to native tissue,” Rivera said.
From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2014
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.
