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

Onscreen, the text reads “Anno Domini,” in case it’s not clear whose umbilical cord is getting cut.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

There was an umbilical cord running from the belly of the exploded beast back to the financial 1980s.

Read more on Literature

Each child had detectable levels of CPF in their umbilical cord blood at birth and underwent brain imaging and behavioral assessments between the ages of 6 and 14.

Read more on Science Daily

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.

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Related Words

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