# vagina

Pronunciation: say "vuh-JY-nuh" /vəˈdʒaɪ.nə/

## Noun

1. The muscular passage in female mammals that leads from the vulva to the cervix and is used in sex and in giving birth; also, a similar reproductive passage in birds, reptiles, and some invertebrates.
   - Simple: The passage in a woman's or female mammal's body from the outside to the womb, or a similar passage in other animals.
   - _As labor progressed, the baby's head moved through the cervix and into the vagina._
   - _The veterinarian examined the mare's vagina for signs of injury after a difficult foaling._
2. In everyday speech, the vulva, or the vulva and the vaginal passage taken together. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: In everyday talk, the outer sex organs of a woman or girl, sometimes along with the passage inside.
   - _After the long ride, she complained that the narrow bike seat had made her vagina sore._
   - _The label on the gentle wash said it was for the vagina, but the small print warned it was for external use only._

## Other meanings

- (noun) A derogatory word for a coward or weakling.
- (noun) In botany, any structure that encloses another like a sheath, such as a grass leaf where it wraps around the stem.
- (noun) In transgender and gay slang, the anus, especially when spoken of as a sexual organ.

## Origin

Latin vāgīna, a word for a sheath or scabbard, or any covering or holder, was taken over directly by scholars. It comes from Proto-Italic *wāgīnā.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/vagina (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).