Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The navel.
- noun A central part; a focal point.
- noun Any of various stones revered as sacred in ancient Greek civilization, representing the center of the world.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The navel or umbilicus.
- noun In Gr. archæol.: A central boss, as on a shield, a bowl, etc.
- noun 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.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Anat.) The navel.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun An ancient
religious stone artifact , or baetylus, used to denote the direction of the "center " of the world. - noun The
theological proposition that theworld wascreated with certainindicia of ahistory which had not actually occurred (such as the humans who had never been connected toumbilical cords being created with navels).
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a scar where the umbilical cord was attached
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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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."
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The Greeks' "omphalos," the navel of the world, isn't confined to Delphi.
ArtScene: This Month's Top Exhibitions in the Western United States ArtScene 2011
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The Greeks'"omphalos," the navel of the world, isn't confined to Delphi.
ArtScene: This Month's Top Exhibitions in the Western United States ArtScene 2011
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This reminds me of the "omphalos" interpretation of the evidence for the age of the earth.
Fundamentalism: Fundamentally Unbiblical James F. McGrath 2008
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It is impossible to refute an "omphalos" hypothesis.
Fundamentalism: Fundamentally Unbiblical James F. McGrath 2008
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Browne denied it -- display an 'omphalos', yet no umbilical cord had ever attached him to a mother.
Father and Son: a study of two temperaments Edmund Gosse 1888
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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 2010
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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 2010
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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 2009
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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.
As the Romans Did 2007
amerikanka commented on the word omphalos
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
February 25, 2008
yarb commented on the word omphalos
Would make a good collective noun for elephants.
February 26, 2008
qms commented on the word omphalos
Where ordinary minds find only dross
The artist's eye sees finest floss.
So much is betrayed
By the honor that's paid
To the intimate lint of the omphalos.
September 23, 2014