uterus
Meaning
the organ in the body of a woman or female mammal where a baby develops before birth
Structure
Usage
the fertilized egg implants itself in the lining of the uterus.
fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the uterus.
a hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the uterus.
Etymology
the word 'uterus' is a direct borrowing from latin, where it meant 'womb, belly, or paunch'. the latin term itself is derived from the proto-indo-european root udero-, meaning 'abdomen, womb, stomach'. this root also gave rise to similar words in other indo-european languages, such as ancient greek 'hystera' (womb) and sanskrit 'udaram' (belly). the semantic journey is straightforward, with the latin anatomical term being adopted directly into english scientific and medical vocabulary to refer specifically to the female reproductive organ.
Analysis
uter is from latin 'uterus', meaning womb, belly, or paunch. us is a latin noun ending used to form nouns.