abortion

a-bor-tion · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    The deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy.

  2. 2.

    The spontaneous expulsion of a fetus from the womb before it is able to survive independently; a miscarriage.

  3. 3.

    (Informal) Something that has failed to develop properly or is monstrously ugly.

  4. 4.

    The arrest of development of an organ or structure.

Forms

plural: abortions

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    abortion rights — Legal rights concerning access to abortion services.
  • •
    spontaneous abortion — Medical term for a miscarriage.
  • •
    therapeutic abortion — An abortion performed for medical reasons.

Related words

See also: abort, miscarriage, pregnancy
Synonyms: miscarriage, termination

Etymology

From Latin abortiō ("miscarriage"), from abortus, past participle of aborīrī ("to miscarry"), from ab- ("away from") + orīrī ("to be born").