omphalos

noun

om·pha·los ˈäm(p)-fə-ˌläs How to pronounce omphalos (audio)

-ləs

: a central point : hub, focal point

Did you know?

Omphalos originated as an ancient Greek word meaning "navel" and is distantly related to two other words of the same meaning, Latin umbilicus and Old English "nafela." (The latter of these is the source of our word navel.) The ancient Greeks also used "omphalos" to refer to a sacred, rounded stone in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi that was supposed to mark the center of the earth. In the 19th century, English speakers borrowed "omphalos" for this sense and its more general "center of activity" sense, as well as to refer to raised ornamentation on a shield or in the base of a cup or dish. In the 1920s, "omphalos" made another contribution to English via the word omphaloskepsis, which means "contemplation of one's navel."

Example Sentences

during the Vietnam War the university's campus effectively became the area's omphalos for antiwar activity

Recent Examples on the Web In front of me was a black ovoid stone, known as the omphalos, set on the spot in Greek mythology where two eagles loosed by Zeus crossed paths at the earth’s nexus.

Liz Alderman, New York Times, 9 July 2019 While the temples have crumbled, seeing the omphalos gave me goose bumps, and left me awe-struck over Delphi’s sublime place in history.

Liz Alderman, New York Times, 9 July 2019 Zeus marked the spot with a stone called the omphalos (navel), to signify the location’s centrality.

National Geographic, 12 Mar. 2019

omphalos

noun

as in center

a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest during the Vietnam War the university's campus effectively became the area's omphalos for antiwar activity

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

center
mecca
capital
hub
navel
nucleus
locus
central
core
focus
seat
heart
base
axis
nexus
epicenter
cynosure
playground
nerve center
ground zero
headquarters
eye
where it's at
lodestone
magnet
pith
playland
hive
nub
hot spot
thick
hotbed
kernel
polestar
attraction
essence
loadstone
deep
soul
happy hunting ground
quintessence

单词	omphalos
释义	omphalos noun om·pha·los ˈäm(p)-fə-ˌläs -ləs : a central point : hub, focal point Did you know? Omphalos originated as an ancient Greek word meaning "navel" and is distantly related to two other words of the same meaning, Latin umbilicus and Old English "nafela." (The latter of these is the source of our word navel.) The ancient Greeks also used "omphalos" to refer to a sacred, rounded stone in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi that was supposed to mark the center of the earth. In the 19th century, English speakers borrowed "omphalos" for this sense and its more general "center of activity" sense, as well as to refer to raised ornamentation on a shield or in the base of a cup or dish. In the 1920s, "omphalos" made another contribution to English via the word omphaloskepsis, which means "contemplation of one's navel." Synonyms axis base capital center central core cynosure epicenter eye focus ground zero heart hub locus mecca navel nerve center nexus nucleus seat See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences during the Vietnam War the university's campus effectively became the area's omphalos for antiwar activity Recent Examples on the Web In front of me was a black ovoid stone, known as the omphalos, set on the spot in Greek mythology where two eagles loosed by Zeus crossed paths at the earth’s nexus. Liz Alderman, New York Times, 9 July 2019 While the temples have crumbled, seeing the omphalos gave me goose bumps, and left me awe-struck over Delphi’s sublime place in history. Liz Alderman, New York Times, 9 July 2019 Zeus marked the spot with a stone called the omphalos (navel), to signify the location’s centrality. National Geographic, 12 Mar. 2019 Word History Etymology Greek, navel — more at navel First Known Use 1845, in the meaning defined above Medical Definition omphalos noun om·pha·los ˈäm(p)-fə-ˌläs, -ləs plural omphali -ˌlī -ˌlē : navel omphalos noun as in center a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest during the Vietnam War the university's campus effectively became the area's omphalos for antiwar activity Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance center mecca capital hub navel nucleus locus central core focus seat heart base axis nexus epicenter cynosure playground nerve center ground zero headquarters eye where it's at lodestone magnet pith playland hive nub hot spot thick hotbed kernel polestar attraction essence loadstone deep soul happy hunting ground quintessence
随便看	irreformability irreformable irrefragabilities irrefragability irrefragable irrefragablenesses irrefragably irrefrangibilities irrefrangible irrefrangiblenesses irrefusable irrefutabilities irrefutability irrefutable irrefutablenesses irrefutably irreg irregardless irregenerate irregular irregular carrier irregular deposit irregular ode irregular peloria irregular variable

omphalos

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Medical Definition

noun

noun