navel

[ ney-vuhl ]

noun

1. umbilicus ( def 1 ).
2. the central point or middle of any thing or place.
3. Heraldry. nombril.

navel

/ ˈneɪvəl /

noun

1. the scar in the centre of the abdomen, usually forming a slight depression, where the umbilical cord was attached Technical nameumbilicus umbilical
2. a central part, location, or point; middle
3. See navel orange
   short for navel orange

Word History and Origins

Origin of navel¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English nafela; cognate with Dutch navel, German Nabel, Old Norse nafli; akin to Sanskrit nābhīla, Latin umbilīcus, Greek omphalós

Word History and Origins

Origin of navel¹

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

Example Sentences

When our ancestors who were taken abroad wanted to remember their history, their origin, their memory, they danced the navel dance.

From Quartz

At first, he called his invention the SNAKE, for side, navel, arm, knee and elbow — the parts of the body touching the board.

From Washington Post

Steinberg, though, will miss everything about this week, from the networking to the navel gazing.

From Washington Post

“Me neither,” Lohse says, gazing pityingly at his own navel.

From The Daily Beast

Genuinely funny and intelligent and navel-gazing and strange, these parts might eventually add up to something truly big.

From The Daily Beast

The singer Tom Jones growled hits like “Delilah” with shirts sweatily slashed to the navel.

From The Daily Beast

The foam, designed to be injected into the navel, is composed of two liquid precursors.

From The Daily Beast

But it's also kind of fun to make fun of the navel-gazing-ness of some of it.

From The Daily Beast

Like Çupay, he dwelt in the subterranean regions, and his palace was named Tlalxicco, the navel of the earth.

From Project Gutenberg

Suddenly a lotus sprung from his navel, and grew till it reached the surface of the flood.

From Project Gutenberg

Then again, in the human body the central point is naturally the navel.

From Project Gutenberg

The plump-looking navel-wort, possibly introduced by him, may be seen peeping from crevices in the walls.

From Project Gutenberg

Who has not enjoyed a juicy navel orange, while wondering at its peculiar shape and lack of troublesome seeds?

From Project Gutenberg