womb
Americannoun
-
the uterus of the human female and certain higher mammals.
-
the place in which anything is formed or produced.
the womb of time.
-
the interior of anything.
-
Obsolete. the belly.
noun
-
the nontechnical name for uterus
-
a hollow space enclosing something, esp when dark, warm, or sheltering
-
a place where something is conceived
the Near East is the womb of western civilization
-
obsolete the belly
Other Word Forms
- unwomb verb (used with object)
- wombed adjective
- womblike adjective
Etymology
Origin of womb
before 900; Middle English, Old English: belly, womb; cognate with Dutch wam, German Wamme, Gothic wamba belly; wamus
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A woman who was born without a womb and told she would not have children of her own went on to help deliver her biological son - who is about to celebrate his first birthday.
From BBC
Endometriosis is a chronic, often painful, condition that occurs when cells similar to the lining of the womb grow elsewhere in the body.
From BBC
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue normally found in the lining of the womb grows outside the uterus, most commonly in the pelvis.
From BBC
Baby Alissa suffered severe brain damage due to a lack of oxygen caused by the placenta coming away from the womb wall.
From BBC
She had a hysterectomy last year to remove her womb alongside her appendix and is now paying privately for physiotherapy.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.