- the long flexible tubelike structure connecting a fetus with the placenta: it provides a means of metabolic interchange with the mother
- any flexible cord, tube, or cable used to transfer information, power, oxygen, etc, as between an astronaut walking in space and his or her spacecraft or a deep-sea diver and his or her craft
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
um•bil•i•cal cord /ʌmˈbɪlɪkəl ˈkɔrd/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Developmental Biologya cordlike structure connecting the unborn baby or fetus with the mother's placenta during pregnancy, bringing nourishment from the mother and removing wastes.
umbil′ical cord′,
- Anatomya cord or funicle connecting the embryo or fetus with the placenta of the mother and transporting nourishment from the mother and wastes from the fetus.
- Electricity, Rocketryany electrical, fuel, or other cable or connection for servicing, operating, or testing equipment, as in a rocket or missile, that is disconnected from the equipment at completion.
- [Aerospace Slang.]a strong lifeline by which an astronaut on a spacewalk is connected to the vehicle and supplied with air, a communication system, etc.
- 1965–70 for def. 2 1745–55
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
umbilical cord n
'umbilical cord' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):