umbilical

[uhm-bil-i-kuhl]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of an umbilicus or umbilical cord.

2. joined together by or as if by an umbilical cord; heavily dependent in a close relationship.

3. adjacent to or located near the navel; central to the abdomen.

   the umbilical region.

4. serving as or containing a conduit through which power is transferred, especially to a unit that will be or is designed to be ultimately self-sufficient or independent.

   an umbilical cable for launching a rocket; an umbilical plug for starting jet engines.

noun

1. umbilical cord.

umbilical

/ ʌmˈbɪlɪkəl, ˌʌmbɪˈlaɪkəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling the umbilicus or the umbilical cord

2. in the region of the umbilicus

   an umbilical hernia

noun

1. short for umbilical cord

Other Word Forms

• umbilically adverb
• nonumbilical adjective
• postumbilical adjective
• subumbilical adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of umbilical¹

1535–45; < Medieval Latin umbilīcālis, equivalent to Latin umbilīc ( us ) ( umbilicus ) + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

No face is visible in the images and one showed a naked woman with a placenta between her legs, with an umbilical cord still attached to it.

Read more on BBC

Screening newborn babies for rare diseases will involve sequencing their complete DNA using blood samples from their umbilical cord.

Read more on BBC

Okula said he cut Crew’s umbilical cord and the doctor let him know Hailey was doing great and he could wait for her in the next room with the baby.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A woman who did not realise she was pregnant has described giving birth alone at the beauty parlour where she worked before cutting her baby's umbilical cord with eyebrow scissors.

Read more on BBC

Midwives resorted to cutting the umbilical cords of newborn babies with a razor blade, the string from a facemask serving to tie them off, Glia medical aid coordinator Dorotea Gucciardo told Salon in October.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• basic 
• essential 
• fundamental 
• important 
• key 
• paramount 
• pivotal 
• significant