uterus

[yoo-ter-uh s]

noun, plural u·ter·i [yoo-tuh-rahy] /ˈyu təˌraɪ/, u·ter·us·es. Anatomy, Zoology.

the enlarged, muscular, expandable portion of the oviduct in which the fertilized ovum implants and develops or rests during prenatal development; the womb of certain mammals.

Origin of uterus

1605–15; < Latin: the womb, matrix; akin to Greek hystéra womb, Sanskrit udara belly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for uterus

Historical Examples of uterus

Its passage to the Uterus may be interrupted, and the ovum lost and finally cast off.
Private Sex Advice to Women
R. B. Armitage
It consists of a discharge from the Vagina, or the Uterus through the Vagina.
Private Sex Advice to Women
R. B. Armitage
Inflammation of the Peritoneum covering the Uterus and its Appendages.
A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I
Various
(b) Enlargements of the Uterus (hypertrophy or hyperplasia).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 7
Various
Uterus Rebecca est; parvulos in eo collidi necesse est, etiam usque ad periculum matris.
History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century (Volume 1)
J. H. Merle D'Aubign

British Dictionary definitions for uterus

uterus

noun plural uteri (ˈjuːtəˌraɪ)

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 parturitionNontechnical name: womb

the corresponding organ in other animals

Word Origin for uterus

C17: from Latin; compare Greek hustera womb, hoderos belly, Sanskrit udara belly

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

Word Origin and History for uterus

1610s, from Latin uterus "womb, belly" (plural uteri), from PIE root *udero- "abdomen, womb, stomach" (cf. Sanskrit udaram "belly," Greek hystera "womb," Lithuanian vederas "sausage, intestines, stomach, lower abdomen," Old Church Slavonic vedro "bucket, barrel," Russian vedro), perhaps originally in PIE "outer, sticking out," shifting to "belly" via "protruding."

uterus in Medicine

uterus

[yōō′tər-əs]

n. pl. u•ter•us•es

A hollow muscular organ consisting of a body, fundus, isthmus, and cervix located in the pelvic cavity of female mammals, in which the fertilized egg implants and develops into the fetus.metra womb

uterus in Science

uterus

[yōō′tər-əs]

Plural uteri (yōō′tə-rī′) uteruses

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. Also called womb See more at menstrual cycle.

uterus in Culture

uterus

[(yooh-tuh-ruhs)]

A pear-shaped organ in the female reproductive system where the embryo or fetus develops until birth. The strong muscles of the uterus help push the baby out of the mother's body.