voluntary abortion
(gcide) | Abortion \A*bor"tion\ ([.a]*b[^o]r"sh[u^]n), 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]
Note: In the 1913 Webster there was the following note
appended to sense 1:
[hand] 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] |