umbilical cord

Meanings

1. The flexible structure connecting a foetus with the placenta; it transports nourishment to the foetus and removes waste.
2. The line that supplies an astronaut with oxygen and communications when outside a spacecraft.
3. Any of the various lines connecting a rocket to its launch pad before liftoff.
4. Synonym of funiculus.
5. An overdependence on or overattachment to support, especially from one's parents or guardians.

Etymology

From umbilical + cord. Largely displaced native navel-string. First attested in 1753.