umbilicus

English

Etymology

From Latin umbilīcus (“navel”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˌʌmˈbɪlɪkəs/

Noun

umbilicus (plural umbilici or umbilicuses)

1. (anatomy) navel
2. (botany) hilum
3. (zoology) A depression or opening in the center of the base of many spiral shells.
4. (zoology) Either of the two apertures in the calamus of a feather.
5. (geometry, obsolete) One of the foci of an ellipse or other curve.
6. (geometry) A point of a surface at which the curvatures of the normal sections are all equal to each other.

   A sphere may be osculatory to the surface in every direction at an umbilicus.

7. (historical) An ornamented or painted ball or boss fastened at each end of the stick on which manuscripts were rolled.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Dr. W. Smith to this entry?)

Synonyms

• (navel): omphalos
• (navel): omphalus

Derived terms

• umbilical
• umbilical artery
• umbilical cord
• umbilical hernia
• umbilical vein

Translations

navel — see navel

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Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *h₃nobʰilos (“navel”).

Noun

umbilīcus (genitive umbilīcī); m, second declension

1. A navel.
2. The middle or center.
3. The ornamented end of a scroll.

Inflection

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	umbilīcus	umbilīcī
genitive	umbilīcī	umbilīcōrum
dative	umbilīcō	umbilīcīs
accusative	umbilīcum	umbilīcōs
ablative	umbilīcō	umbilīcīs
vocative	umbilīce	umbilīcī

Descendants

Aromanian: buric Asturian: embeligru, ombligu Catalan: melic, llombrígol English: umbilicus French: nombril, ombilic Friulian: umbričon Galician: embigo

Italian: ombelico Occitan: embonilh, monilh Portuguese: umbigo Romanian: buric, ombilic Sardinian: imbílicu, imbírigu Spanish: ombligo

References

• umbilicus in Charlton T. Lewis & Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1879