uterus

noun

uter·​us ˈyü-tə-rəs 

ˈyü-trəs

plural uteri ˈyü-tə-ˌrī  or uteruses

1

: a muscular organ of the female mammal for containing and usually for nourishing the young during development prior to birth

called also womb

2

: a structure in some lower animals analogous to the uterus in which eggs or young develop

Examples of uterus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In placental abruption, the organ that provides oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, called the placenta, suddenly detaches from the side of the uterus, thus endangering the health of the mother and the developing baby. —Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 22 July 2024

They are made of muscle cells and tissues that grow within and around the muscular wall of the uterus. —Dominique Fluker, Essence, 20 July 2024

Fetal viability is defined as the point in pregnancy when there is a significant chance the fetus would survive outside of the uterus without extraordinary medical efforts. —Madeline Armstrong | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 18 Aug. 2024

Conversely, following a hysterectomy and removal of the uterus, there may be no need to take progesterone. —Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 15 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, belly, womb; probably akin to Greek hoderos belly, Sanskrit udara

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

uterus

noun

uter·​us ˈyüt-ə-rəs 

plural uteruses or uteri -ˌrī 

: the muscular organ of a female mammal in which the young develop before birth

called also womb

Medical Definition

uterus

noun

uter·​us ˈyüt-ə-rəs 

plural uteri -ˌrī  also uteruses

: an organ in female mammals for containing and usually for nourishing the young during development prior to birth that consists of a greatly modified and enlarged section of an oviduct (as in rodents and marsupials) or of the two oviducts united (as in the higher primates including humans), that has thick walls consisting of an outer serous layer, a very thick middle layer of smooth muscle, and an inner mucous layer containing numerous glands, and that during pregnancy undergoes great increase in size and change in the condition of its walls

called also womb

see cervix sense 2a, corpus uteri, endometrium, fundus sense c, myometrium, perimetrium