navel

na·vel

noun \ˈnā-vəl\

Definition of NAVEL

1

: a depression in the middle of the abdomen that marks the point of former attachment of the umbilical cord or yolk stalk

2

: the central point : middle

Examples of NAVEL

1. <a city that likes to regard itself as the nation's navel of art and culture>

Origin of NAVEL

Middle English, from Old English nafela; akin to Old High German nabalo navel, Latin umbilicus, Greek omphalos

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to NAVEL

Synonyms: axis, base, capital, central, core, cynosure, epicenter, eye, focus, ground zero, heart, hub, locus, mecca, center, nerve center, nexus, nucleus, omphalos, seat

Related Words: headquarters; happy hunting ground, hive, hotbed, hot spot, playground, playland; kernel, nub, pith; deep, thick; essence, quintessence, soul; attraction, lodestone (also loadstone), magnet, polestar

[+]more[-]hide

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral