noun
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Technical name: umbilicus. the scar in the centre of the abdomen, usually forming a slight depression, where the umbilical cord was attached
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a central part, location, or point; middle
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short for navel orange
Etymology
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
Explanation
If you look down at your stomach, you can see your navel. It’s that weird-looking round depression in the middle of your belly, unless you have an "outie," in which case it pokes out instead of in. Your navel is actually a large scar that was caused by the removal of the umbilical cord when you were born, also known as your belly button. The word can also be used figuratively for a center point, like how the navel is in the center of your stomach. You might call New York City the navel of the arts scene in the United States. Careful: navels have nothing to do with the Navy, that would be naval.
Vocabulary lists containing navel
Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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Gross, Anatomy!
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"The Banana Tree," Vocabulary from the short story
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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.
You might have seen them on tap or in shops, beers with names such as Triple Cheesecake IPA or Mango Fuzzy Navel or Orange Creamsicle.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 8, 2023
Michael Sims’s books include “Adam’s Navel: A Natural and Cultural History of the Human Form” and a companion book to the National Geographic Channel series “In the Womb: Animals.”
From Washington Post • Mar. 21, 2022
Fleming was involved in various codebreaking missions during World War Two when he served in the Navel Intelligence division.
From BBC • Nov. 19, 2021
Navel oranges appeared to be hurt the worst, according to the AgCenter.
From Washington Times • Nov. 11, 2020
From every point of the horizon enormous waves were meeting, forming a gulf justly called the "Navel of the Ocean," whose power of attraction extends to a distance of twelve miles.
From Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Verne, Jules
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
