umbilical cord

noun

1

a

: a cord arising from the navel that connects the fetus with the placenta and through which respiratory gases, nutrients, and wastes pass

b

: yolk stalk

2

: a tethering or supply line (as for an astronaut outside a spacecraft or a diver underwater)

3

: a necessary, supportive, or nurturing link or connection

Examples of umbilical cord in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

It is estimated that 99% of people have PFAS in our bodies, and they are even found in breast milk and umbilical cord blood. —Anne Hulick and Bill Lucey, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2024

Police accused Anderson of discarding Baby Skylar — a full-term baby with its umbilical cord still attached — in a Sky Harbor women's restroom trash can. —Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 22 Mar. 2024

Does a filament act as a kind of umbilical cord through which cores and then stars acquire their masses? —Nia Imara, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2024

There was the loss of a daughter, stillborn after becoming tangled in the umbilical cord. —Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1753, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

umbilical cord

noun

um·​bil·​i·​cal cord

ˌəm-ˈbil-i-kəl-

: a cord that contains blood vessels and connects the navel of a fetus with the placenta of the mother

Medical Definition

umbilical cord

noun

: a cord arising from the navel that connects the fetus with the placenta and contains the two umbilical arteries and the umbilical vein