umbilical

1 of 2

adjective

um·​bil·​i·​cal ˌəm-ˈbi-li-kəl How to pronounce umbilical (audio)
British also
ˌəm-bə-ˈlī-kəl How to pronounce umbilical (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or used at the navel
2
: of or relating to the central region of the abdomen
3
: being a necessary or nurturing link or connection
the town's umbilical rail line

umbilical

2 of 2

noun

Examples of umbilical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The kit was less than one day old, weighed about 2.2 ounces, and her umbilical stump was still attached. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 13 Mar. 2024 Sometimes outies can be caused by an umbilical hernia in the baby or another medical problem, but most of it is just due to what your genes encoded. Sarah Leupen, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2023 Engineers are also making some changes to the umbilical connection. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 18 Aug. 2023 The tubes connected to the infant’s bloodstream, called umbilical catheters, provide nutrition. Bloomberg Wire, Dallas News, 14 Sep. 2023 So, during a C-section, tubes are inserted into the umbilical blood vessels, and the infant is immediately submerged into a biobag, a pod filled with a sterile, amniotic-type fluid. Bloomberg Wire, Dallas News, 14 Sep. 2023 Engineers successfully repaired the umbilical fitting, which worked normally during a subsequent fueling test. William Harwood, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2022 Along with the engine cooling issue, the launch team also dealt with a leaking seal in a hydrogen umbilical line that feeds propellant into the base of the SLS core stage and concluded that a vent line quick-disconnect fitting that also briefly leaked what acceptable for flight as is. William Harwood, CBS News, 2 Sep. 2022 What people built was umbilical. Christopher Wynn, Dallas News, 2 Apr. 2021
Noun
The goal was to prevent seals from unseating in the hydrogen umbilical between the core stage and the mobile launch platform. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 18 Aug. 2023 Photos: Glen Benson/NASA Each side of the umbilical contains a set of doors that acts sort of like an air lock, to keep out the dust. IEEE Spectrum, 30 Oct. 2018 So keeping it out of umbilicals, electrical and fluids connectors, and any sensitive electronics is critical. IEEE Spectrum, 30 Oct. 2018 Since then, engineers have replaced and tested a check valve on the upper stage and fixed a small leak within the tail service mast umbilical used during fueling, said Cliff Lanham, senior vehicle operations manager at NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 27 May 2022 When the vehicle was just 50 feet from the surface, the umbilical snapped. WIRED, 28 Feb. 2023 The shots of the fuel and data umbilicals pulling away from the vehicle turned out fantastic. Trevor Mahlmann, Ars Technica, 25 Aug. 2019 The layout of the umbilicals and headroom given yield to really great composition. Trevor Mahlmann, Ars Technica, 25 Aug. 2019 The shuttle, by delivering the chemicals that aid the flow of oil and gas directly to the well, takes those complications out of the mix, meaning oil companies can run longer umbilicals and manage more wells from a single platform. Jordan Blum, Houston Chronicle, 20 Feb. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'umbilical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from New Latin umbilīcālis, from Latin umbilīcus "navel, central point" + -ālis -al entry 1 — more at umbilicus

Noun

by ellipsis

First Known Use

Adjective

1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1774, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of umbilical was in 1541

Dictionary Entries Near umbilical

Cite this Entry

“Umbilical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/umbilical. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

umbilical

adjective
um·​bil·​i·​cal
ˌəm-ˈbil-i-kəl also ˌəm-bə-ˈlī-kəl
1
: of, relating to, or used at the navel
umbilical infection
2
: of or relating to the central abdominal region that is situated between the right and left lumbar regions and between the epigastric region above and the hypogastric region below
umbilical pain

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