n.
- Anatomy. The flexible cordlike structure connecting a fetus at the abdomen with the placenta and containing two umbilical arteries and one vein that transport nourishment to the fetus and remove its wastes.
- Something likened to this structure; a source or means of support or sustenance: "All the umbilical cords of dependency still exist because the public wants them" (David A. Stockman).
- Aerospace.
- Any of various external electrical lines or fluid tubes that supply a rocket before launch.
- The line that supplies an astronaut with oxygen and in some cases with communications while outside the spacecraft.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
