abortion Hear it!

abortion definition

abor·tion (ə bôr′s̸hən)

noun

    1. any spontaneous expulsion of an embryo or a fetus before it is sufficiently developed to survive; miscarriage
    2. any deliberate procedure that removes, or induces the expulsion of, a living or dead embryo or fetus
  2. an aborted embryo or fetus
  3. anything immature and incomplete or unsuccessful, as a deformed creature, a badly developed plan, etc.
  4. Biol.
    1. arrest of development
    2. an organ whose development has been arrested

Etymology: L abortio: see abort

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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