uterus

noun

uter·​us ˈyü-tə-rəs How to pronounce uterus (audio)
ˈyü-trəs
plural uteri ˈyü-tə-ˌrī How to pronounce uterus (audio) 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 an experiment published last year, seven-day-old model monkey embryos were successfully implanted in the uterus of three female monkeys. Kristen V. Brown, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2024 Some mammal species have an ability known as embryonic diapause, in which the development of an embryo can be paused for weeks or even months, keeping the blastocyst from implanting in the uterus. Michael Irving, New Atlas, 3 Oct. 2024 An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants into tissue outside of the uterus. Carrie Madormo, Rn, Mph, Verywell Health, 2 Oct. 2024 Adenomyosis is a chronic condition in which the endometrial tissue that lines the uterus grows into the muscular wall of the uterus. Jess Sims, Health, 26 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for uterus 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'uterus.' 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of uterus was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near uterus

Cite this Entry

“Uterus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uterus. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

uterus

noun
uter·​us ˈyüt-ə-rəs How to pronounce uterus (audio)
plural uteruses or uteri -ˌrī How to pronounce uterus (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce uterus (audio)
plural uteri -ˌrī How to pronounce uterus (audio) 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

More from Merriam-Webster on uterus

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!