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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Magnesium can smooth muscle contractions and help your uterus relax. Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Health, 2 Oct. 2025 If successful, the resulting embryo is genetically normal and can be transferred into a uterus to begin pregnancy. Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025 Mifepristone blocks progesterone, the hormone that helps a woman's body maintain the lining of the uterus during pregnancy. Dan Morrison, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025 Henrot is the nature whose anatomy includes a single-chambered uterus. Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for uterus

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Uterus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uterus. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.

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

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