uterus

[ yoo-ter-uhs ]

/ ˈyu tər əs /

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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.

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Origin of uterus

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

Words nearby uterus

utensil, uter-, uteralgia, uterine, utero-, uterus, Utgard, Utgard-Loki, U Thant, Uther, Uthman

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

How to use uterus in a sentence

Most famously, the belief in the “floating uterus” was used to keep women out of the marathon for decades.
Time For The End Of The Teen Gymnast|Dvora Meyers|July 27, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
Babies leave the uterus without a bacterial colony in their guts.
10 absolutely wild facts about babies|Lauren Leffer|July 2, 2021|Popular-Science
A rejuvenation period that takes place after an embryo has attached to the uterus sets the growing embryo at its youngest biological age, dubbed “ground zero,” researchers report June 25 in Science Advances.
Embryos appear to reverse their biological clock early in development|Erin Garcia de Jesús|June 25, 2021|Science News
The struggle included some wacky experiments, including loading sperm into a tiny chamber and inserting it in a volunteer’s uterus to “prime” the sperm for action.
How test tube babies went mainstream|Nancy Shute|June 12, 2021|Science News

An average pregnancy lasts approximately 40 weeks, and viability, the point at which a fetus can survive outside the uterus, generally falls between 24 and 26 weeks.
State abortion policies have become more extreme — without Roe v. Wade, the divide could widen|Daniela Santamarina|June 11, 2021|Washington Post
Udall had stressed the line of attack so frequently that he was dubbed “Mark Uterus,” and it clearly backfired.
For Conservatives, Liberal Tears Taste Sweet|Matt Lewis|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is placed immediately in front, on the pubic bone, the Uterus lying nearly on the top of it.
The Matron's Manual of Midwifery, and the Diseases of Women During Pregnancy and in Childbed|Frederick Hollick
The body of the Uterus is formed of a very dense, gray colored, muscular substance, possessing astonishing contractile power.
The Matron's Manual of Midwifery, and the Diseases of Women During Pregnancy and in Childbed|Frederick Hollick
A thorough and practical treatise on the Malpositions of the Uterus and adjacent Organs.
Aims and Aids for Girls and Young Women|George Sumner Weaver
Ein Fall von Myoma im rudimentaren Uterus bicornis unicollis.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various
Carcinomatous Uterus removed eighteen and a half years subsequent to Double Ovariotomy.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for uterus

uterus

/ (ˈjuːtərəs) /

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

Scientific definitions for uterus

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.

Cultural definitions for uterus

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.