a city that likes to regard itself as the nation's navel of art and culture
Recent Examples on the WebCutouts and navel-grazing necklines dominated at Saint Laurent, while nothing more than oversized chain links separated models’ torsos from their thong straps at Balmain. Danielle Friedman, Vogue, 24 Feb. 2022 His callow-millennial act — and the navel-gazing vagaries of modern content culture — make fertile ground for satire, and many of the jokes here do find their soft targets. Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 29 July 2022 This being Hermès, a horse takes center stage in the scene, ridden by a princess taking a selfie using a selfie stick…something that may one day look archaic, but will surely still elicit interest in the navel-gazing era. Carol Besler, Robb Report, 26 July 2022 Meanwhile, for abs, Johnson did TRX pikes, cable wood chops and angled roll outs using an ab wheel, all of which created shape at the waist, while also honing the V-shape below the navel. Hannah Coates, Vogue, 15 July 2022 The bottom hits right below the navel and has a little stitch design that coincides with the twist top. Sanah Faroke, PEOPLE.com, 13 July 2022 Support your head with a pillow and rest your hands on your abdomen below the navel. Carol Kinsey Goman, Forbes, 6 June 2022 Lots of citrus are ready to harvest and eat now, including limes, kumquats, mandarins, grapefruits, lemons, tangelos and navel oranges. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2022 Cooke wears a blazer and a tie; Buss frayed jeans and a shirt open to the navel. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Old English nafela; akin to Old High German nabalo navel, Latin umbilicus, Greek omphalos
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of navel was before the 12th century