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 other animals (such as salamanders and nematodes) analogous to the mammalian uterus in which eggs or young develop

Examples of uterus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An embryo is transferred through contracts and clinic consent forms, after which it can be transferred into a recipient’s uterus. — Risa Cromer, The Conversation, 17 July 2026

But the uterus begins to rot on the misogynistic film set, taking on a life of its own. — John Hopewell, Variety, 14 July 2026

Endometriosis is a condition in which interior uterine tissue grows outside of the uterus, causing scar tissue, cysts, pain, and fertility problems, per the Mayo Clinic. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026

Nyong’o previously had surgery to remove 23 fibroids from her uterus—the largest was the size of an orange—in 2014. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 11 July 2026

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