Definition

Noun: 1. The navel; the central point or hub of something. In its literal sense, it refers to the small, hollow scar on the abdomen where the umbilical cord was attached. Figuratively, it is used to denote the central or most important point of something.

Examples of Usage

• Literal (Anatomical):
  • The statue's detail was so fine you could see its omphalos.
  • In some cultures, the omphalos is considered a center of spiritual energy.
• Figurative (Central Point):
  • The ancient city was considered the omphalos of the empire.
  • The library served as the intellectual omphalos of the university.

Advanced Usage

• "Omphalos" is a formal, literary, or academic term. In everyday speech, "navel" or "belly button" is used for the body part, and "hub," "core," or "nexus" is used for the figurative meaning.
• The term carries historical and mythological weight, often associated with the sacred stone at Delphi in ancient Greece, which was believed to mark the center of the world.

Variants and Related Words

• Omphalic (adjective): Pertaining to the navel or a central point.
  • The omphalic region.
• Omphaloskepsis (noun): Contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation; used humorously to mean excessive introspection.
  • His writing lapsed into pure omphaloskepsis.

Synonyms

• Navel (literal)
• Belly button (literal, informal)
• Hub (figurative)
• Center (figurative)
• Nexus (figurative)
• Core (figurative)

Related Idioms

• Omphalos of the world: A phrase used to describe a place considered to be the absolute center or most important point.
  • For classical Greeks, Delphi was the omphalos of the world.

Noun

1. a scar where the umbilical cord was attached
   • you were not supposed to show your navel on television
   • they argued whether or not Adam had a navel
   • she had a tattoo just above her bellybutton