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 lower animals analogous to the uterus in which eggs or young develop

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

As monoamniotic twins, their girls, Lynlee and Lydia, are identical or semi-identical twins who shared the same amniotic sac within their mother’s uterus. —Ben Flanagan | [e-mail], al, 24 Feb. 2023

But, for women who are still interested in having children, pregnancy is possible through in vitro fertilization, if the uterus is not removed. —Zeina Mohammed — Boston Globe, STAT, 23 Feb. 2023

But, for women who are still interested in having children, pregnancy is possible through in vitro fertilization, if the uterus is not removed. —Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Feb. 2023

Babies with Potter syndrome often die before they are born when their umbilical cords become trapped between their bodies and the wall of their mother’s uterus. —Frances Stead Sellers, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Feb. 2023

Prostaglandins, the compounds blocked by NSAIDs, may build up inside the blood vessels in the uterus, which could contribute to pain. —Calli Mcmurray, STAT, 17 Feb. 2023

People who don’t have success with medication or less invasive treatment options may consider having part or all of their uterus removed. —Amanda Macmillan, Health, 11 Feb. 2023

The animal this procedure would birth (from a surrogate African elephant’s uterus) would be similar to a woolly mammoth, though not exactly the same in looks or behavior. —Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 6 Feb. 2023

Miscarried pregnancies that aren’t addressed in a timely manner can result in infection, massive bleeding, permanent damage to the fallopian tubes and uterus, and sometimes even death. —Asima Ahmad, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2023

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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