umbilical cord
noun
- (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
- something likened to an umbilical cord; a source or means of support or sustenance
- a tethering or supply line (as for an astronaut outside a spacecraft or a diver underwater)
- any of various external electrical lines or fluid tubes that supply a rocket before launch
- extra-embryonic structure
Wiktionary
noun
Etymology: From umbilical + cord. Largely displaced native navel-string. First attested in 1753.
- The flexible structure connecting a foetus with the placenta; it transports nourishment to the foetus and removes waste.
- The line that supplies an astronaut with oxygen and communications when outside a spacecraft.
- Any of the various lines connecting a rocket to its launch pad before liftoff.
- Synonym of funiculus.
- An overdependence on or overattachment to support, especially from one's parents or guardians.
“Remember the eastern leg of HS2 being lopped back to the East Midlands? To this Yorkshireman, this was a tragedy. It removed the umbilical cord designed to connect and bind together the modern advanced manufacturing corridor of England (West Midlands-East Midlands-the reborn Sheffield-Leeds-Teesside-Tyneside), helping it to be capable of competing internationally through the synergy of skills and skilled people.”