womb

American  

[woom] / wum /

noun

1. the uterus of the human female and certain higher mammals.

2. the place in which anything is formed or produced.

   the womb of time.

3. the interior of anything.

4. Obsolete. the belly.

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womb British  

/ wuːm /

noun

1. the nontechnical name for uterus

2. a hollow space enclosing something, esp when dark, warm, or sheltering

3. a place where something is conceived

   the Near East is the womb of western civilization

4. obsolete the belly

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womb Scientific  

/ wo̅o̅m /

1. See uterus

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Other Word Forms

• unwomb verb (used with object)
• wombed adjective
• womblike adjective

Etymology

Origin of womb

before 900; Middle English, Old English: belly, womb; cognate with Dutch wam, German Wamme, Gothic wamba belly; wamus

Example Sentences

Endometriosis is a chronic, often painful, condition that occurs when cells similar to the lining of the womb grow elsewhere in the body.

From BBC

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue normally found in the lining of the womb grows outside the uterus, most commonly in the pelvis.

From BBC

Baby Alissa suffered severe brain damage due to a lack of oxygen caused by the placenta coming away from the womb wall.

From BBC

She had a hysterectomy last year to remove her womb alongside her appendix and is now paying privately for physiotherapy.

From BBC

Ectopic pregnancies are when the embryo starts growing outside the womb, usually in the fallopian tube, and can be life-threatening.

From BBC

Related Words

• belly
• entrails
• innards