umbilicus

umbĭlīcus, i, m. [akin to omphalos], the navel.

I.

Lit., Cels. 7, 14; 6, 17; Plin. 11, 37, 89, § 220; Liv. 26, 45, 8; Auct. B. Afr. 85, 1; Isid. Orig. 11, 1.—

II.

Transf.

A.

The umbilical cord, Cels. 7, 29, § 41.—

B.

The middle, centre:

dies quidem jam ad umbilicum est dimidiatus mortuus,

Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 45:

qui locus, quod in mediā est insulā situs, umbilicus Siciliae nominatur,

Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 48, § 106: terrarum, i. e. Delphi, Att. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 17 Müll.; and in Cic. Div. 2, 56, 115;

also called umbilicus orbis terrarum,

Liv. 38, 48, 2;

and, umbilicus medius Graeciae,

id. 41, 23, 13:

qui (Aetoli) umbilicum Graeciae incolerent,

id. 35, 18, 4: Italiae, Varr. ap. Plin. 3, 12, 17, § 100.—

C.

The projecting end of the cylinder on which an ancient book was rolled, Mart. 2, 6, 11; 1, 67, 11; 3, 2, 9; 5, 6, 15; 8, 61, 4; Cat. 22, 7:

iambos ad umbilicum adducere,

i. e. to bring to a close, Hor. Epod. 14, 8; cf.:

ohe, jam satis est, ohe libelle: Jam pervenimus usque ad umbilicos,

to the end, Mart. 4, 91, 2.—

D.

A projection in the middle of plants, Plin. 15, 22, 24, § 89; 16, 7, 10, § 29; 18, 14, 36, § 136; Pall. Nov. 7, 8. —

E.

A small circle, Plin. 37, 5, 20, § 78; 18, 33, 76, § 327.—

F.

The pin or index on a sundial, Plin. 6, 34, 39, § 212; 2, 72, 74, § 182.—

G.

A kind of sea-snail, sea-cockle, Cic. de Or. 2, 6, 22; Val. Max. 8, 8, 1; Aur. Vict. Vit. Caes. 3.—

H.

Umbilicus Veneris, the herb navelwort, App. Herb. 43.