Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Umbilical?

\Um*bil"ic*al\, a. [Cf. F. ombilical. See {Umbilic}, n.] 1. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to an umbilicus, or umbilical cord; umbilic. 2. Pertaining to the center; central. [R.] --De Foe. {Umbilical cord}. (a) (Anat.) The cord which connects the fetus with the placenta, and contains the arteries and the vein through which blood circulates between the fetus and the placenta; the navel-string. (b) (Bot.) The little stem by which the seeds are attached to the placenta; -- called also {funicular cord}. {Umbilical hernia} (Med.), hernia of the bowels at the umbilicus. {Umbilical point} (Geom.), an umbilicus. See {Umbilicus}, 5. {Umbilical region} (Anat.), the middle region of the abdomen, bounded above by the epigastric region, below by the hypogastric region, and on the sides by the lumbar regions. {Umbilical vesicle} (Anat.), a saccular appendage of the developing embryo, containing the nutritive and unsegmented part of the ovum; the yolk sac. See Illust. in Appendix.