pregnant

(pregnənt)

adjective

  1. having (an) offspring developing in the uterus; that has conceived; with young or with child
  2. mentally fertile; prolific of ideas; inventive
  3. productive of results; fruitful: a pregnant cause
  4. full of meaning, significance, etc.: a pregnant silence
  5. filled (with); abounding

Origin: ME preignant < L pregnans (gen. pregnantis), heavy with young < prae-, before (see pre-) + base of OL gnasci, to be born (see genus)

Related Forms:

See pregnant in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective
  1. Carrying developing offspring within the body.
  2. a. Weighty or significant; full of meaning: a conversation occasionally punctuated by pregnant pauses.
    b. Of great or potentially great import, implication, or moment: “It was a politically pregnant time in Poland” (New York).
  3. Filled or fraught; replete: “This was, from the Party's point of view, both deplorable in itself and pregnant with danger for the future” (Robert Conquest).
  4. Having a profusion of ideas; creative or inventive.
  5. Producing results; fruitful: a pregnant decision.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Latin praegnāns, praegnant-

Origin: , variant of praegnās; see genə- in Indo-European roots

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Related Forms:

  • pregˈnant·ly adverb

adjective
Archaic
Convincing; cogent. Used of an argument or a proof.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , probably from Old French preignant

Origin: , present participle of prembre, to press

Origin: , from Latin premere; see per-4 in Indo-European roots

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