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cervix

American  
[sur-viks] / ˈsɜr vɪks /

noun

Anatomy.
  • cervixes,
    plural
  • cervices
    plural
  1. the neck, especially the back part.

  2. any necklike part, especially the constricted lower end of the uterus.


cervix British  
/ ˈsɜːvɪks /

noun

  1. the technical name for neck

  2. any necklike part of an organ, esp the lower part of the uterus that extends into the vagina

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cervix Scientific  
/ sûrvĭks /
  1. A neck-shaped anatomical structure, especially the narrowed, lower end of the uterus that extends into the vagina.


cervix Cultural  
  1. The narrow outer end of the uterus. A portion of the cervix extends into the vagina. (See reproductive systems.)


Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of cervix

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin cervīx “neck, nape, uterine cervix”

Compare meaning

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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:

They found evidence of EXO1 overproduction in multiple cancer types, including tumors of the breast, skin, liver and cervix, consistent with earlier research.

From Science Daily Jun. 20, 2026

Her treatment involved the removal of lymph nodes in her abdomen, although surgeons were able to preserve a small part of her cervix, giving her a chance of becoming pregnant.

From BBC Jun. 17, 2026

Three doctors gathered and told the couple that the longer Waldorf’s cervix remained open and her uterus exposed to bacteria, the higher her risk of developing a life-threatening infection.

From Salon May 27, 2026

Misoprostol was initially approved by the FDA for stomach ulcers and is routinely prescribed off-label to induce labor, treat postpartum hemorrhage, and prepare the cervix for IUD insertion.

From Slate May 18, 2026

Mary always stared at them while she ate, just as she was doing when Gey walked into the lab carrying the pieces of Henrietta’s cervix.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

People in their 20s with cervices need Pap smears every three years, although the interval may be shorter if you’ve had abnormal results in the past.

From Washington Post Oct. 16, 2022

Currently, the vast majority of HPV diagnoses in people with cervices are found via Pap smears that analyze tissue scraped from the cervix itself.

From Washington Post Dec. 31, 2021

This is the generation of American women that reinvented feminism, wrote Our Bodies, Ourselves, and learned to examine their cervices with mirrors.

From Time Magazine Archive

Next time Niobe turned up was at memorial cervices for Bloodgood H. Cutter, "the Long Island Farmer Poet."

From Time Magazine Archive

This results in a double uterus, which may also have two cervixes and two vaginal canals.

From BBC Nov. 2, 2025

She said the campaign team has heard from many within the LGBTQ+ community, particularly from those who have cervixes but do not identify as women.

From BBC Aug. 13, 2023

Whole sets of teeth, tonsils, cervixes and colons were lost or mutilated in this pursuit.

From Washington Post Jun. 3, 2022

Hern proved them wrong, pioneering new approaches to make later abortions safer, including dilating cervixes with Japanese seaweed tubes called laminaria.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 10, 2022

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