ENGLISH
REFERENCE

vagina

n.
US //vəˈdʒaɪnə// UK //vədʒˈaɪnɐ// vagi·na
  1. 1 anatomy (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Medicine

    the part of a woman's body that connects the outer sex organs to the womb.

    the internal muscular canal in female mammals leading from the vulva to the cervix of the uterus.

    Example

    The doctor explained how the baby moves through the vagina during birth.

    Example

    The lining of the vagina undergoes significant physiological changes during the different phases of the menstrual cycle.

    Usage

    In medical contexts, it refers specifically to the internal canal, not the external parts.
    • birth canal
  2. 2 botany (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    a part of a plant that wraps around a stem like a sleeve.

    a sheathlike structure, such as the base of a leaf that surrounds a stem.

    Example

    The grass leaf forms a protective vagina around the young stem.

    Example

    The botanical description noted that the leaf's vagina was particularly elongated, providing structural support to the primary stalk.
Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wāgīnā Latin vāgīnalbor. English vagina Learned borrowing from Latin vāgīna (“a sheath, scabbard; a covering, sheath, holder”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family
  • Nounvag
  • Nounvagina
Related words

Last updated June 20, 2026