womb

[woom]

noun

1. the uterus of the human female and certain higher mammals.

2. the place in which anything is formed or produced.

   the womb of time.

3. the interior of anything.

4. Obsolete.,  the belly.

womb

/ wuːm /

noun

1. the nontechnical name for uterus

2. a hollow space enclosing something, esp when dark, warm, or sheltering

3. a place where something is conceived

   the Near East is the womb of western civilization

4. obsolete,  the belly

womb

1. See uterus

Other Word Forms

• wombed adjective
• unwomb verb (used with object)
• womblike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of womb¹

before 900; Middle English, Old English: belly, womb; cognate with Dutch wam, German Wamme, Gothic wamba belly; wamus

Word History and Origins

Origin of womb¹

Old English wamb; related to Old Norse vomb, Gothic wamba, Middle Low German wamme, Swedish våmm

Example Sentences

The device used is commonly known as a coil and is placed inside the womb, or uterus, to prevent pregnancy.

From BBC

Could they have infiltrated the kids’ developing brains through the womb or through breast milk?

From Salon

She said she felt “blessed that he chose me to be his mother, to come into the world through the waters of my womb.”

From Los Angeles Times

The placenta is an organ made in the womb during pregnancy that gives oxygen and nutrients to a foetus.

From BBC

Endometriosis is a common but debilitating condition where tissue similar to the womb lining grows outside the uterus, often causing severe pelvic pain and infertility.

From BBC

Related Words

• belly 
• entrails 
• innards