placenta
- 01 C1 Advanced
an organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy to provide oxygen and nutrients to the growing baby.
a temporary organ in mammals that connects the foetus to the uterine wall for nutrient uptake, waste elimination, and gas exchange via the umbilical cord.
Simple“The doctor checked the placenta during the ultrasound to make sure the baby was getting enough nutrients.”
In context“Following the delivery of the infant, the third stage of labour involves the expulsion of the placenta from the uterine cavity.”
UsageIn non-medical contexts, it is often referred to as the 'afterbirth' once it has been expelled.
Teacher's tipWhile a C1 technical term, it is common in prenatal care and biology; students should know it is distinct from the umbilical cord.
Synonymsafterbirth - 02 C2 Proficiency
the part of a plant's ovary where the seeds (ovules) are attached and grow.
the surface of the carpel to which the ovules are attached within the ovary of a flowering plant.
Simple“In some fruits, you can clearly see the placenta where the seeds are joined to the core.”
In context“The arrangement of ovules on the placenta, known as placentation, is a key characteristic used in the taxonomic classification of flowering plants.”
UsageUsed primarily in botanical descriptions and plant anatomy.
Teacher's tipThis sense is highly specialised and rarely encountered outside of academic biology or botany.
Elision for phrases such as New Latin placenta uterī (“womb cake”), placenta uterina (“uterine cake”), from Latin placenta (“flat cake”), because of the flat round shape of the afterbirth. Doublet of palacsinta and palatschinke.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.