GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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Found one definition

  1.       
    Abortion (ȧ‑bôrˈshŭn), n. [L. abortio, fr. aboriri. See Abort.]
    1. The act of giving premature birth; particularly, the expulsion of the human fetus prematurely, or before it is capable of sustaining life; miscarriage.

    [1913 Webster]




    2. The immature product of an untimely birth; a fetus which has been delivered prematurely due to spontaneous or voluntary abortion, and is dead.

    [1913 Webster +PJC]


    3. (Biol.) Arrest of development of any organ, so that it remains an imperfect formation or is absorbed.

    [1913 Webster]


    4. Any fruit or produce that does not come to maturity, or anything which in its progress, before it is matured or perfect; a complete failure; as, “his attempt proved an abortion”.

    [1913 Webster]


    5. the removal of a fetus from the womb prior to normal delivery in a manner such as to cause the death of the fetus; also called voluntary abortion, or when performed by a physician, therapeutic abortion.

    [PJC]

    In the 1913 Webster there was the following note appended to sense 1:

    ☞ It is sometimes used for the offense of procuring a premature delivery, but strictly the early delivery is the abortion, “causing or procuring abortion” is the full name of the offense. Abbott.

    [PJC]


    6. something considered to be a repulsive or monstrous variant of a normal object; a monstrosity.

    [PJC]

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