SINCE 1828

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venter

noun ven·ter \ ˈven-tər \

Definition of venter

1 :a wife or mother that is a source of offspring

2

[borrowed from New Latin, going back to Latin]

:a protuberant and often hollow anatomical structure: such as

a :the undersurface of the abdomen of an arthropod

b :the swollen basal portion of an archegonium in which an egg develops

Recent Examples of venter from the Web

Venters concluded the jail has no treatment facilities for mentally ill inmates.

— paige st. john, latimes.com, "Naked, filthy and strapped to a chair for 46 hours: a mentally ill inmate's last days," 24 Aug. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of venter

borrowed from Anglo-French ventre "belly, womb, mother," going back to Latin ventr-, venter "belly, womb, bulge"; perhaps, if going back to *wet-ri- or *wed-ri- (with nasal of uncertain origin), akin to Latin uterus "womb," Sanskrit udara- — more at uterus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1544

See Words from the same year

Other Anatomy Terms

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

Venter

biographical name Ven·ter \ ˈven-tər \

Definition of Venter

J(ohn) Craig 1946– American geneticist

Medical Dictionary

venter

noun ven·ter \ ˈvent-ər \

medical Definition of venter

:an anatomical structure that is protuberant and often hollow: as

a :abdomen; also :a large bodily cavity (as in the head, thorax, or abdomen) containing organs

b :belly 2

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