omphalos

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ὀμφαλός (omphalós, “navel”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɒmfəlɒs/[1]

Noun

omphalos (plural omphaloi)

  1. An ancient religious stone artifact, or baetylus, used to denote the direction of the "center" of the world.
  2. The theological proposition that the world was created with certain indicia of a history which had not actually occurred (such as the humans who had never been connected to umbilical cords being created with navels).
  3. The navel.
  4. A raised central point; a boss.

References

  1. ↑ “omphalos”, in OED Online , Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
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