umbilicalcord

umbilical cord n.

1.

a. Anatomy. The flexible cordlike structure connecting a fetus at the abdomen with the placenta and containing two umbilical arteries and one vein that transport nourishment to the fetus and remove its wastes.

b. Something likened to this structure; a source or means of support or sustenance: “All the umbilical cords of dependency still exist because the public wants them” (David A. Stockman).

2. Aerospace.

a. Any of various external electrical lines or fluid tubes that supply a rocket before launch.

b. The line that supplies an astronaut with oxygen and in some cases with communications while outside the spacecraft.

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