Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The navel.
- n. A central part; a focal point.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The navel or umbilicus.
- n. In Gr. archæol.: A central boss, as on a shield, a bowl, etc.
- n. A sacred stone in the temple of Apollo at Delphi, believed by the Greeks to mark the “navel” or exact center-point of the earth. Extant representations show it as a stone of a conical shape, often covered with a kind of network called
agrenon , similar in character to the sacred garment so called, or wreathed with votive fillets. The Delphic or Pythian Apollo is often represented as seated on the omphalos, in his chief sanctuary, and statues have been found the feet of which rest on a truncated omphalos. See cut in next column.
Wiktionary
- n. An ancient religious stone artifact, or baetylus, used to denote the direction of the "center" of the world.
- n. 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).
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. The navel.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a scar where the umbilical cord was attached
Etymologies
- Greek; see nobh- in Indo-European roots.
Examples
“In early religion it was "a profound symbol of cosmic fertility," says "Sexual Personae" author Camille Paglia, humanities professor at Philadelphia's University of the Arts. "Delphi, where the most famous oracle of antiquity sat, was called the omphalos, or navel of the world.”
“The Greeks'"omphalos," the navel of the world, isn't confined to Delphi.”
The Huffington Post: ArtScene: This Month's Top Exhibitions in the Western United States
“The Greeks' "omphalos," the navel of the world, isn't confined to Delphi.”
The Huffington Post: ArtScene: This Month's Top Exhibitions in the Western United States
“This reminds me of the "omphalos" interpretation of the evidence for the age of the earth.”
“It is impossible to refute an "omphalos" hypothesis.”
“Browne denied it -- display an 'omphalos', yet no umbilical cord had ever attached him to a mother.”
“He will feel the human presence in every corner of Fokida, the centre "omphalos" of the Greek land and he will live its passage and route in their authentic form through mythology, history, art and civilisation.”
WN.com - Articles related to Rajasthan bid to promote animal husbandry
“Subscribe to this post comment rss or trackback url omphalos said in March 6th, 2009 at 3:32 pm”
BestScienceFictionStories.com » Post Topic » Little Lost Robot by Paul McAuley
“One of the effects you mention is the so-called “omphalos syndrome” that afflicted both Rome and Washington, D.C., causing each city to regard itself as the center of the world and in charge of the world agenda.”
“Twigs were neatly arranged in a necklace around the black-holed omphalos of each gleaming tumulus.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘omphalos’.
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Logolepsy
"Luciferous Logolepsy is a collection of over 9,000 obscure English words. Though the definition of an 'English' word might seem to be straightforward, it is not. There exist so many adopted, deriv...
Anschauung, Areopagus, Argus, Briarean, Dei gratia, Dei judicium, Deo volente, Duecento, Foehn, Geflugelte Worte, Gegenschein, Hakenkreuz and 9230 more...
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Greek
Gordian knot, Proteus, sisyphean, eudemonia, glossolalia, hemorrhage, hamadryad, aphotic, tautogeneity, anthropomorphism, polygamy, polygyny and 17 more...
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oona's list
mongolian, inuit, vagabond, strange, hypersensitive, sarcastic,
hooliganisms, manak, redonkulous, extract, educe, omphalos, luftmensch, obsequious, missive, heteronyms, homographs, caucasian and 34 more...
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Gayle's New Words
hyperborean
yarb Would make a good collective noun for elephants. Feb 25, 2008
amerikanka also:
The centre, heart, or hub of a place, organization, sphere of activity, etc
or
In the temple of Apollo at Delphi: a sacred stone of a rounded conical shape, supposed to mark the centre of the earth
or
A raised prominence in the base of a cup, dish, etc Feb 25, 2008