vagina

IPA/vəˈdʒaɪnə/
KK[vədʒˈaɪnə]IPA/vəˈdʒaɪnə/

vagina — noun

  • vaginasingular
  • vaginasplural

1. the muscular passage inside females that goes from the external genitals to the

1.nounB2
Definition

the muscular passage inside females that goes from the external genitals to the uterus, through which a baby travels during birth and sperm travel during reproduction.

Example

The vagina stretches significantly during childbirth to let the baby pass through.

the vagina + verb describing function in childbirth

Kenji's biology teacher drew the vagina on the board during the lesson.

Common collocations
  • healthy vagina
  • vaginal discharge
  • vaginal examination
  • vaginal birth
  • vaginal opening
Synonyms
  • birth canal

    an informal, function-focused term that refers specifically to the vagina during childbirth; less precise in general anatomy contexts

Grammar Patterns

the vagina (singular with definite article)

adjective + vagina (e.g. healthy vagina)

Usage Note

Frequently used with the definite article ('the vagina') when describing the body part in general medical terms. In clinical contexts, 'vagina' refers only to the internal passage, not the external genital area (which is called the vulva).

Common Mistakes

She felt pain in her vagina' (referring to the external area).
She felt pain in her vulva.
'vagina' is the internal passage; 'vulva' is the visible external genital area.
The doctor examined her vagina' (without clinical framing).
The doctor performed a vaginal examination.
In medical settings, 'vaginal examination' is the standard professional phrasing.

2. a thin layer of tissue shaped like a tube that wraps around and protects a body

2.nounC1
Definition

a thin layer of tissue shaped like a tube that wraps around and protects a body structure such as a tendon, nerve, or blood vessel.

Example

Each wrist tendon is wrapped in a thin vagina that reduces friction during movement.

wrapped in a thin vagina (sheath metaphor with preposition)

Ravindra studied the vagina that protects the optic nerve in his anatomy class.

Common collocations
  • tendon vagina
  • carotid vagina
  • vagina of the optic nerve
  • protective vagina
  • fibrous vagina
Synonyms
  • sheath

    the everyday English word for this meaning; 'sheath' is preferred in non-specialist writing, while 'vagina' is the Latin-based anatomical term

Grammar Patterns

modifier + vagina (e.g. tendon vagina)

the vagina of [body part]

Usage Note

Almost exclusively used in medical or anatomical writing, always with a modifier that identifies the specific structure (e.g., 'tendon vagina,' 'carotid vagina,' 'vagina of the optic nerve'). Do not use this sense in everyday conversation.

Word family

  • vaginal
    adjectiveB2
  • vaginally
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These three terms are often confused. The vagina (陰道) is the internal muscular passage connecting the cervix to the outside of the body. The vulva is the external genital area, including the labia, clitoris, and vaginal opening — it is what people see from the outside. 'Vagina' is the correct medical term for the internal structure; 'vulva' for the external structures. 'Birth canal' is an informal, functional description used specifically during childbirth and refers to the combined passage formed by the vagina and the cervix. In everyday conversation, saying 'vagina' when you mean 'vulva' is a very common mistake. For example: correctly, 'The doctor examined her vagina during the pelvic exam' (internal); correctly, 'The cream is applied to the vulva, not inside the vagina.'

vagina ↗vulva ↗birth canal

Common collocations

Nouns

  • vaginal examination
  • vaginal discharge
  • vaginal birth
  • vaginal wall
  • vaginal opening

Phrases

  • vaginal pH balance
  • vaginal microbiome
  • vaginal lubrication
  • vaginal atrophy

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word 'vagina' comes directly from Latin, where it literally meant 'sheath' or 'scabbard' — the cover that holds a sword. The ancient Romans used this word for the female body part because of a visual and functional comparison: the penis was seen as fitting into the vagina the way a sword fits into its sheath. This anatomical meaning was first recorded in English medical writing around the 1680s. The same Latin root also gave us the English word 'sheath' (through Old English and Germanic paths). The modern sense 2 (a sheath-like anatomical covering) preserves the original Latin meaning more closely.