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Definition of placenta
placentas
orplacentae
play \plə-ˈsen-(ˌ)tē\1 : the vascular organ in mammals except monotremes and marsupials that unites the fetus to the maternal uterus and mediates its metabolic exchanges through a more or less intimate association of uterine mucosal with chorionic and usually allantoic tissues; also : an analogous organ in another animal
2 : a sporangium-bearing surface; especially : the part of the carpel bearing ovules
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Recent Examples of placenta from the Web
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The most common explanation for how the disease spreads is through contact with the placenta in birthing areas.
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Not all mothers choose to consume their placentas through pills.
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However it's done, eating the placenta after childbirth is thought to ward off postpartum depression and boost milk production, among other things.
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In some cases, placenta accreta can lead to a life-threatening hemorrhage.
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My doctor had to stick his entire arm in me and detach the placenta with his hand, scraping it away from my uterus with his fingernails.
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My doctor had to stick his entire arm in me and detach the placenta with his hand, scraping it away from my uterus with his fingernails.
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Cholesterol is marketed as a moisture restorer, and placenta is sold as a hair repairer, Llanos said.
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The products included dyes, chemical relaxers and deep conditioning creams containing cholesterol or placenta.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'placenta'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of placenta
New Latin, from Latin, flat cake, from Greek plakoenta, accusative of plakoeis, from plak-, plax flat surface — more at fluke
PLACENTA Defined for English Language Learners
placenta
playDefinition of placenta for English Language Learners
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medical : the organ in mammals that forms inside the mother's uterus, nourishes the unborn baby, and is pushed out of the mother after the birth of the baby
PLACENTA Defined for Kids
placenta
playDefinition of placenta for Students
: the organ in most mammals by which the fetus is joined to the uterus of the mother and is nourished
Medical Dictionary
placenta
playMedical Definition of placenta
placentas
orplacentae
\-ˈsent-(ˌ)ē\play: the vascular organ in mammals except monotremes and marsupials that unites the fetus to the maternal uterus and mediates its metabolic exchanges through a more or less intimate association of uterine mucosal with chorionic and usually allantoic tissues permitting exchange of material by diffusion between the maternal and fetal vascular systems but without direct contact between maternal and fetal blood and typically involving the interlocking of fingerlike vascular chorionic villi with corresponding modified areas of the uterine mucosa—see abruptio placentae
Illustration of placenta
Learn More about placenta
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See words that rhyme with placenta Spanish Central: Translation of placenta Nglish: Translation of placenta for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of placenta for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about placenta
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