umbilicus
/ʌmˈbɪlɪkəs
/ /ˌʌmbɪˈlʌɪkəs /noun (plural umbilici /ʌmˈbɪlɪsʌɪ/ /ˌʌmbɪˈlʌɪsʌɪ/ or umbilicuses)
1 Anatomy The navel.A 22-gauge needle can be inserted in a Z-tract fashion, to minimize leakage of fluid after the paracentesis, in midline between the umbilicus and the pubis symphysis in order to avoid collateral vessels....
- Conventional colorectal surgery was performed through a vertical midline incision that extended from 5 cm to 10 cm above the umbilicus to the mons pubis.
- He has a palpable ‘olive’ above the umbilicus near midline and he is severely dehydrated.
2 Zoology A depression or hole at the centre of the shell whorls of some gastropod molluscs and many ammonites.Only in conch thickness do they show a relatively wide variability, ranging from pachyconic conchs with moderately wide umbilici to extremely slender, oxyconic conchs with closed umbilici....
- A coiled conch develops a closed umbilicus only when certain very limited conditions are fulfilled, thus permitting only very limited degrees of freedom.
- Paosia differs from the enigmatic and poorly defined Pterodonta by having a much less globose adult last whorl, lower spire, anterior end of outer lip projected and incurved, a more sinuous growth line, and in lacking an umbilicus.
2.1A hole at each end of the hollow shaft of a feather.The main feather may have an afterfeather attached to it, arising from the underside of the feather at the superior umbilicus.
Origin
Late 17th century: from Latin: related to Greek omphalos, also to navel.