navel

[ ney-vuhl ]

/ ˈneɪ vəl /

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See synonyms for: navel / navels on Thesaurus.com

noun

umbilicus (def. 1).

the central point or middle of any thing or place.

Heraldry. nombril.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH navel

naval, navel

Words nearby navel

Nav. Arch., navarin, Navarino, Navarre, nave, navel, navel-gazing, navel ill, navel orange, navelwort, navette

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use navel in a sentence

When our ancestors who were taken abroad wanted to remember their history, their origin, their memory, they danced the navel dance.
Rumba’s Congolese roots are finally being recognized by Unesco|Uwagbale Edward-Ekpu|December 21, 2021|Quartz
At first, he called his invention the SNAKE, for side, navel, arm, knee and elbow — the parts of the body touching the board.
Tom Morey, inventor of wave-riding Boogie Board, dies at 86|Matt Schudel|October 17, 2021|Washington Post
Steinberg, though, will miss everything about this week, from the networking to the navel gazing.
What’s the Super Bowl without the frenzy? For Leigh Steinberg: Misery. For players: Bliss.|Ben Strauss|February 4, 2021|Washington Post
“Me neither,” Lohse says, gazing pityingly at his own navel.
An Ivy League Frat Boy’s Shallow Repentance|Stefan Beck|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Genuinely funny and intelligent and navel-gazing and strange, these parts might eventually add up to something truly big.
Lars Iyer’s ‘Wittgenstein Jr.’ Plumbs the Deep Fun of Philosophical Fiction|Drew Smith|October 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The singer Tom Jones growled hits like “Delilah” with shirts sweatily slashed to the navel.
Jude Law and the Great Male ‘He-Vage’ Crisis|Tim Teeman|May 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The foam, designed to be injected into the navel, is composed of two liquid precursors.
New 'Suspended Animation' Procedure Saves Lives by Replacing Blood with a Cold Electrolyte Solution|Elizabeth Lopatto|April 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But it's also kind of fun to make fun of the navel-gazing-ness of some of it.
Wolfgang's Revolution, at Your Gates|Katie Workman|July 28, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Like Çupay, he dwelt in the subterranean regions, and his palace was named Tlalxicco, the navel of the earth.
The Myths of the New World|Daniel G. Brinton
Suddenly a lotus sprung from his navel, and grew till it reached the surface of the flood.
Ancient Faiths And Modern|Thomas Inman
Then again, in the human body the central point is naturally the navel.
Ten Books on Architecture|Vitruvius
The plump-looking navel-wort, possibly introduced by him, may be seen peeping from crevices in the walls.
Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents and Strange Events|S. Baring-Gould
Who has not enjoyed a juicy navel orange, while wondering at its peculiar shape and lack of troublesome seeds?
Stories of California|Ella M. Sexton

British Dictionary definitions for navel

navel

/ (ˈneɪvəl) /

noun

the scar in the centre of the abdomen, usually forming a slight depression, where the umbilical cord was attachedTechnical name: umbilicus Related adjective: umbilical

a central part, location, or point; middle

short for navel orange

Word Origin for navel

Old English nafela; related to Old Frisian navla, Old High German nabulo (German Nabel), Latin umbilīcus

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

navel

Origin of navel

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH navel

Words nearby navel

Words related to navel

How to use navel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for navel

Word Origin for navel