uterus

noun uter·us \ ˈyü-tə-rəs , ˈyü-trəs \

|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

Definition of uterus

plural uteri play \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

See uterus defined for English-language learners

See uterus defined for kids

Recent Examples of uterus from the Web

Emilie Gentry, 28, almost died after contracting bacterial infection chorioamnionitis, which impacts the membranes of the uterus and the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby.

— Fox News, "Emotional moment mom meets her baby for first time after she went into septic shock during labor," 10 July 2018
One kitten had to be spayed immediately because of an infection in her uterus.

— vinny vella, Philly.com, "A Bucks County couple kept 31 cats in squalor. A new state law is helping prosecute them.," 7 July 2018
Tamoxifen can increase the risk of cancer of the uterus.

— denise grady, New York Times, "Good News for Women With Breast Cancer: Many Don’t Need Chemo," 3 June 2018
Xi has undergone three years of various infertility treatments, including taking a bitter herbal medicine for three months, three rounds of ovulation induction therapy and one laparoscopic surgery to restore displaced tissues in her uterus.

— serenitie wang, CNN, "Recovering from one child: China's growing fertility problem," 7 May 2018
Your baby has to descend in your uterus in order to come out vaginally.

— korin miller, SELF, "‘Stripped’ Star Ali Levine Says Women Shouldn’t Feel ‘Ashamed’ About Having a C-Section," 3 May 2018
The prostate is a male reproductive organ and the uterus is its female corollary.

— dr. jared g. heiner, idahostatesman, "A new treatment for an old prostate problem | Idaho Statesman," 6 May 2018
Barker's daughter, Maddie Coleman, cannot conceive on her own because of a disorder that affected her uterus and ovaries, People reports.

— megan friedman, Good Housekeeping, "A Woman Will Give Birth to Her Own Grandchild for the Second Time," 10 Nov. 2017
That’s likely because the copper IUD causes a harmless sterile inflammation, which can increase secretions from the cervix and possibly the uterus, Dr. Chisholm says.

— robin marty, Cosmopolitan, "15 Things Every Woman Should Know About IUDs," 12 Nov. 2014

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'uterus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of uterus

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Anatomy Terms

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

UTERUS Defined for English Language Learners

uterus

noun

Definition of uterus for English Language Learners

medical : the organ in women and some female animals in which babies develop before birth

UTERUS Defined for Kids

uterus

noun uter·us \ ˈyü-tə-rəs \

Definition of uterus for Students

plural uteruses or uteri \ˈyü-tə-ˌrī\

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

Medical Dictionary

uterus

noun uter·us \ ˈyüt-ə-rəs \

medical Definition of uterus

plural uteri play \-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 2a, corpus uteri, endometrium, fundus c, myometrium, perimetrium