uterus
Americannoun
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uteri,
plural
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uteruses
plural
noun
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Nontechnical name: womb. anatomy a hollow muscular organ lying within the pelvic cavity of female mammals. It houses the developing fetus and by contractions aids in its expulsion at parturition
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the corresponding organ in other animals
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uteri
plural
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The hollow, muscular organ of female mammals in which the embryo develops. In most mammals the uterus is divided into two saclike parts, whereas in primates it is a single structure. It lies between the bladder and rectum and is attached to the vagina and the fallopian tubes. During the menstrual cycle (estrus), the lining of the uterus (endometrium) undergoes changes that permit the implantation of a fertilized egg.
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Also called womb
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See more at menstrual cycle
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of uterus
1605–15; < Latin: the womb, matrix; akin to Greek hystéra womb, Sanskrit udara belly
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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:
She’d used a Mirena IUD in her early 20s, but she’d found the device to be uncomfortable—perhaps too large for her uterus.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026
Rachel, who was 39 at the time, needed a sperm donor so her eggs could be fertilised in a lab to create an embryo which could then be implanted into her uterus.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
The disease is present when tissue resembling the uterine lining grows outside the uterus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
A tube containing the IUD is then passed through the tiny cervical opening into the uterus, a process that is excruciating for many patients.
From Slate ● Jun. 7, 2026
Fallopio described these links between the uterus and the ovaries as flaring out at the end like a ‘brass trumpet’—a tuba.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Kelsey Hatcher, 32, had given birth thrice, each time carrying one baby in one of the uteri, hospital officials said in a release Friday.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 23, 2023
And the odds of becoming pregnant in both uteri - a dicavitary pregnancy - were even slimmer, at "one in a million", according to the UAB.
From BBC ● Dec. 23, 2023
A painting of pink, green and yellow uteri strung on a clothesline hangs on a pale-yellow wall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2022
Those with UFI cannot get pregnant because, like Jovanovich, they either lack uteri or their uterus doesn't function properly.
From Salon ● Nov. 27, 2021
If the disease be occasioned by uterine displacement, obstructing the os uteri, the organ must be restored to its normal position.
From A Newly Discovered System of Electrical Medication by Daniel Clark
Many people who get their uteruses out are thrilled about it, in part because it can finally give them, after years of misdiagnosis and pushback, a sense of control.
From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2025
She claimed to have a rare condition of having two uteruses and provided a fake NHS-branded letter apparently confirming the miscarriage, the court heard.
From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2025
ProPublica previously reported on two such cases in which miscarrying women in Texas died of sepsis after doctors delayed evacuating their uteruses.
From Salon ● Feb. 21, 2025
These were implanted in the uteruses of normal cows in Brazil, and one transgenic calf was born.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 13, 2024
Vallisneri reports the instance of a woman who possessed two uteruses, one communicating with the vagina, the other with the rectum.
From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Walter L. (Walter Lytle) Pyle
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