ENGLISH
REFERENCE

uterus

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //ˈjutɝəs// UK //jˈuːtəɹəs// uterus

n. the organ in the body of a female mammal where a baby grows before it is born. It is also called the womb.

n. the hollow, muscular organ in female mammals in which the zygote is implanted and the embryo and fetus are developed.


SIMPLE

The fetus develops inside the uterus for nine months.

CONTEXTUAL

During a routine ultrasound, the doctor checked the position of the placenta within the uterus.

COMPLEX

The walls of the uterus undergo significant physiological changes during the menstrual cycle to prepare for the potential implantation of a fertilized egg.

Synonyms
Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Indo-European *úderos Latin uteruslbor. English uterus Learned borrowing from Latin uterus.

Usage

Commonly used in medical and biological contexts; 'womb' is the more frequent term in literary or everyday emotional contexts.

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