abortion en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /əˈbɔɹ.ʃn̩/ (US)
- əʹbôrshən (US)
- (US) audio
Etymology
From Latin abortiōnem (“miscarriage, abortion”), from aborior (“to miscarry”). Equivalent to abort + -ion. Displaced native Old English ǣwyrp (literally “throwing out, rejection”).
Meanings
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(countable, qualifier:now uncommon in general use, uncountable) The expulsion from the womb of a foetus or embryo before it is fully developed, with loss of the foetus. ▸ A spontaneous abortion; a miscarriage.
Swines-bread, so used, doth not onely speed / A tardy labour; but (without great heed) / If over it a Child-great Woman stride, / Instant abortion often doth betide.
1605 [1578], Josuah, transl. Sylvester, “The Third Day of the First Week”, in Devine Weekes and Workes, translation of La Premiere Sepmaine by Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas, lines 693–696:At any time after impregnation, abortion may take place: it is one of the most common complaints of pregnancy, whence it is a matter of no small consequence that every practitioner should well understand it.
1809, William Nicholson, The British Encyclopaedia, volume IV:
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(countable, uncountable) The expulsion from the womb of a foetus or embryo before it is fully developed, with loss of the foetus. ▸ An induced abortion.
Mary decided to have an abortion because she was too young to raise a baby.
Representative Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania will resign from Congress after claims that the anti-abortion Republican had urged a woman he was having an extramarital affair with to have an abortion.
2017 October 5, Ben Jacobs, The Guardian:It is impossible for an abortion clinic to have a waiting list of more than nine months.
1997, George Carlin, Brain Droppings, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 93:The story of Ms. He and her mother began in the early 1960s, shortly before the Cultural Revolution shook China. Her young parents, who worked in a pottery factory in Rongchang in present-day Chongqing municipality, conceived her while unmarried. “They were told by the factory, ‘Have an abortion or be fired’,” she said. They chose to keep her and were fired.
2014 January 20, Didi Kirsten Tatlow, “‘She. Herself. Naked.': The Art of He Chengyao”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 16 Aug 2023, Sinosphere:
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(archaic, countable, uncountable) An aborted foetus; an abortus.
The Fascist poem, one may fear, will be a horrid little abortion such as one sees in a glass jar in the museum of some county town.
1929, Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own:‘It seems too hairy for an abortion, and too small for a mature birth.’
1791, James Boswell, Life of Johnson, Oxford, published 2008, page 657:
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(countable, figuratively, uncountable) A misshapen person or thing; a monstrosity.
His voice was the most pitiable abortion of a voice I had ever heard.
1889, Edward Bellamy, “To Whom This May Come”, in Harper's New Monthly Magazine, New York, page 459, column 2:an absolute abortion of a book
2003, David Kerekes, Headpress 24: Powered by Love, page 133:Insomuch that I do honestly believe, there can be no place in the world, where such intolerable abortions, begotten of the sculptor’s chisel, are to be found in such profusion, as in Rome.
1846, Charles Dickens, chapter 10, in Pictures from Italy:Dickey on his own manages to turn a simple bo diddley 1-2-3-4 into an absolute abortion of a song.
2000, Jules, “please dont buy beacon cd”, in alt.fan.allman-brothers (Usenet):
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(countable, figuratively, uncountable) Failure or abandonment of a project, promise, goal etc.
The transfer or loss of the project manager before the project is completed will result in lost continuity and delay or the abortion of the project and/or the report.
2013, Fakhry A. Assaad, James W. LaMoreaux, Travis Hughes, Field Methods for Geologists and Hydrogeologists, →ISBN, page 314:[…] the abrupt abortion of the trip after eleven days.
2015, Gabriele Brandstetter, Poetics of Dance: Body, Image, and Space, →ISBN, page 73:The returning good sense of our country threatens abortion to their hopes, & they believe that any portion of power confided to me, will be exerted in opposition to their schemes.
1800 September 23, Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush^(http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mtj:@field(DOCID+@lit(tj090069))):
- (countable, uncountable) Arrest of development of any organ, so that it remains an imperfect formation or is absorbed.
- (countable, uncountable) The cessation of an illness or disease at a very early stage.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| abortions | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
abortionee · pre-abortion · abortifacient · abortion vaccine · abortion ban · miniabortion · antiabortion · abortional · anti-abortionism · anti-abortionist · missed abortion · abortion doctor · abortionism · abortion-rights · proabortion · abortion tourist · anti-abortion · antiabortionism · antiabortionist · abortion rights · abortion clinic · post-abortion · teleabortion · abortion tour · preabortion · boybortion · pro-abortion · postabortion · abortion mill · abortion pill · abortionist · abortion tourism
Hyponyms
inevitable abortion · induced abortion · infectious abortion · accidental abortion · threatened abortion · back-alley abortion · overdue abortion · septic abortion · vacuum aspiration abortion · incomplete abortion · late-term abortion · medical abortion · ampullar abortion · partial birth abortion · partial-birth abortion · instillation abortion · early abortion · spontaneous abortion · lunchtime abortion · infected abortion · contagious abortion · complete abortion · elective abortion · therapeutic abortion · back alley abortion · nontherapeutic abortion · tubal abortion · artificial abortion · chemical abortion · hysterotomy abortion · prolonged abortion · surgical abortion · imminent abortion · habitual abortion
Synonyms
termination (induced abortion) · abort · miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) · feticide (induced abortion) · feticide (act of terminating pregnancy) · embryoctony (act of terminating pregnancy) · misbirth (spontaneous abortion) · aborticide (act of terminating pregnancy) · foeticide (act of terminating pregnancy) · aborticide (induced abortion) · termination (act of terminating pregnancy) · foeticide (induced abortion) · abortus
Translations (219)
la abortus (the foetus produced by abortion) · cy erthyl (the foetus produced by abortion) · nrf avouortément (induced abortion) · fr avortement (act of inducing abortion) · sk potrat (act of inducing abortion) · nl miskraam (the foetus produced by abortion) · hy աբորտ (act of inducing abortion) · fr avortement (induced abortion) · ko 락태 (induced abortion) · th ทำแท้ง (induced abortion) · nl abortus (induced abortion) · ca avortament (the act of aborting a project, etc) · ca avort (act of inducing abortion) · pt aborto (something ugly) · fi tekele (something ugly) · nl onderbroken ontwikkeling (biology: arrest of development of an organ) · fa سقط جنین (induced abortion) · lb ofdreiwung (induced abortion) · es engendro (something ugly) · ca avortament (act of inducing abortion) · ja 妊娠中絶 (induced abortion) · arz سقط (the foetus produced by abortion) · ja 堕胎 (act of inducing abortion) · nb abort (the foetus produced by abortion) · pt abortamento (act of inducing abortion) · fo fosturtøka (induced abortion) · nl miskraam (something ugly) · lt abortas (induced abortion) · es aborto inducido (induced abortion) · cmn 人流 (induced abortion) · ro abandon (the act of aborting a project, etc) · nrf avouortément (act of inducing abortion) · el έκτρωση (induced abortion) · pl abort (act of inducing abortion) · cmn 人流 (act of inducing abortion) · ko 락태 (act of inducing abortion) · pt aborto (induced abortion) · nl miskleun (something ugly) · te గర్భస్రావము (induced abortion) · cs potrat (induced abortion) · nl zwangerschapsonderbreking (induced abortion) · ta கருக்கலைப்பு (induced abortion) · nl vruchtafdrijving (induced abortion) · sk interrupcia (induced abortion) · pt aborto (act of inducing abortion) · ur اسقاط (induced abortion) · it aborto (act of inducing abortion) · hu művi abortusz/vetélés (induced abortion) · mk або́ртус (induced abortion) · cy erthyl (induced abortion) · fi surkastuminen (biology: arrest of development of an organ) · hi गर्भपात (induced abortion) · id aborsi (act of inducing abortion) · ta கருக்கலைப்பு (act of inducing abortion) · id aborsi (induced abortion) · pdt Aufdrief (induced abortion) · is fóstureyðing (induced abortion) · ja 妊娠中絶 (act of inducing abortion) · tg бачапартоӣ (induced abortion) · uz abort (induced abortion) · ko 타태 (induced abortion) · la abortus (induced abortion) · ca interrupció voluntària de l'embaràs (induced abortion) · pt aborto (the act of aborting a project, etc) · kmr jiberbûn (induced abortion) · ja 中絶 (induced abortion) · ar إِجْهَاض (induced abortion) · gd casg-breith (induced abortion) · cy erthyliad (act of inducing abortion) · ur وضع حمل (induced abortion) · cmn 人工流產 /人工流产 (act of inducing abortion) · mhr аборт (act of inducing abortion) · sh pȍbačāj (induced abortion) · sh по̏бача̄ј (induced abortion) · pl abort (induced abortion) · crh abort (act of inducing abortion) · pt aborto induzido (induced abortion) · el έκτρωμα (the foetus produced by abortion) · mi whakatahe (induced abortion) · si ගබ්සාව (induced abortion) · ja 中絶 (act of inducing abortion) · tg исқоти ҳамл (induced abortion) · ro avort (induced abortion) · he הפלה מלאכותית (induced abortion) · gd casg-breith (act of inducing abortion) · ar خِدَاج (induced abortion) · th การแท้ง (induced abortion) · lt abortas (act of inducing abortion) · ang ǣwyrp (induced abortion) · ang ǣwyrp (act of inducing abortion) · ja 人工流産 (induced abortion) · bg або́рт (induced abortion) · tpi rausim bel (induced abortion) · fi surkastuma (fruit/produce that doesn't come to maturity) · ro embrion (fruit/produce that doesn't come to maturity) · ur اسقاط حمل (induced abortion) · el άμβλωση (induced abortion) · tl pagpapaagas (act of inducing abortion) · lv aborts (induced abortion) · pl aborcja (act of inducing abortion) · crh abort (induced abortion) · cmn 人工流產 /人工流产 (induced abortion) · ga ginmhilleadh (induced abortion) · af aborsie (induced abortion) · fi keskeyttäminen (the act of aborting a project, etc) · ko 낙태 (induced abortion) · sh abòrtus (induced abortion) · cs interrupce (induced abortion) · fi abortti (induced abortion) · lo ທຳແທ້ງ (induced abortion) · tg исқоти (induced abortion) · el έκτρωμα (something ugly) · sv abort (induced abortion) · nb abort (the act of aborting a project, etc) · ca avortament induït (induced abortion) · ur اخراجِ جنین (induced abortion) · tg аборт (induced abortion) · fr avorton (fruit/produce that doesn't come to maturity) · it aborto (induced abortion) · id penguguran kandungan (act of inducing abortion) · ky аборт (induced abortion) · fi keskonen (the foetus produced by abortion) · cmn 流產 /流产 (act of inducing abortion) · yi אַבאָרט (induced abortion) · yue 墮胎 /堕胎 (induced abortion) · mhr аборт (induced abortion) · fa کورتاژ (induced abortion) · es aborto (act of inducing abortion) · pl aborcja (induced abortion) · nb abortus (the foetus produced by abortion) · it abortivo (the foetus produced by abortion) · sh або̀ртус (induced abortion) · cs potrat (act of inducing abortion) · fi abortti (act of inducing abortion) · be або́рт (induced abortion) · sl splav (induced abortion) · gd casg leatrom (act of inducing abortion) · cmn 墮胎 /堕胎 (induced abortion) · hu küret (induced abortion) · nl wangedrocht (something ugly) · es aborto (something ugly) · vi sự phá thai (induced abortion) · fr interruption volontaire de grossesse (act of inducing abortion) · nb utskrapning (induced abortion) · fr IVG (act of inducing abortion) · eo abortigo (act of inducing abortion) · fa افگانش (induced abortion) · fi raskaudenkeskeytys (induced abortion) · ka აბორტი (induced abortion) · kk аборт (induced abortion) · nl afdrijving (induced abortion) · fi keskeytys (the act of aborting a project, etc) · hu terhességmegszakítás (induced abortion) · tl pagpapaagas (induced abortion) · es abortamiento (disused) (act of inducing abortion) · mt abort (induced abortion) · ko 낙태 (act of inducing abortion) · nl opgewekte bevalling (induced abortion) · ca avort (the act of aborting a project, etc) · ro avort (act of inducing abortion) · ta காய் (the foetus produced by abortion) · yue 墮胎 /堕胎 (act of inducing abortion) · az abort (induced abortion) · nb abort (induced abortion) · cmn 墮胎 /堕胎 (act of inducing abortion) · ro germen (fruit/produce that doesn't come to maturity) · la abagmentum (induced abortion) · ast albuertu (induced abortion) · gd casg leatrom (induced abortion) · ms pengguguran (induced abortion) · cmn 流產 /流产 (induced abortion) · nl abortus (act of inducing abortion) · my ကိုယ်ဝန်ဖျက်ချခြင်း (induced abortion) · lo ການແທ້ງ (induced abortion) · nb abortus provocatus (induced abortion) · st ho ntsha mpa (act of inducing abortion) · da abort (induced abortion) · de Abtreibung (act of inducing abortion) · et abort (induced abortion) · uk або́рт (induced abortion) · tk abort (induced abortion) · nb abortus (something ugly) · km ការរំលូតកូន (induced abortion) · ko 인공유산 (induced abortion) · ja 堕胎 (induced abortion) · grc ἀποφθορά (induced abortion) · nl misbaksel (something ugly) · sq abort (induced abortion) · eo abortado (induced abortion) · grc ἄμβλωσις (induced abortion) · de Abtreibung (induced abortion) · ru або́рт (induced abortion) · nl abortie (act of inducing abortion) · af aborsie (act of inducing abortion) · es aborto (the act of aborting a project, etc) · nb abortus provocatus (act of inducing abortion) · hu magzatűzés (induced abortion) · cy erthyliad (induced abortion) · bg изку́ствен або́рт (induced abortion) · ja 人工妊娠中絶 (act of inducing abortion) · nl voortijdige beëindiging (the act of aborting a project, etc) · ar إِجْهَاض (act of inducing abortion) · ru або́рт (act of inducing abortion) · hi गर्भस्राव (act of inducing abortion) · tr kürtaj (induced abortion) · nb abort (act of inducing abortion) · lo ການທຳແທ້ງ (induced abortion) · ta காய் (fruit/produce that doesn't come to maturity) · th การทำแท้ง (induced abortion) · cmn 打胎 (induced abortion) · bn গর্ভপাত (induced abortion) · de Schwangerschaftsabbruch (induced abortion) · pt abandono (the act of aborting a project, etc) · hy աբորտ (induced abortion) · st ho ntsha mpa (induced abortion) · nb misfoster (something ugly) · es aborto (induced abortion) · fi raskaudenkeskeytys (act of inducing abortion) · cmn 打胎 (act of inducing abortion)