abortifacient
n.n. a substance or medicine that causes a miscarriage or stops a pregnancy. It is a technical word used in medical and legal discussions.
n. a substance or agent that induces abortion or prevents the development of a foetus. Often used in clinical or legal contexts to describe specific pharmaceutical compounds.
The doctor explained the risks of using an abortifacient.
The legal debate centered on whether the drug in question was a true abortifacient or merely a contraceptive.
Historically, various herbal remedies were classified as abortifacients, though modern pharmacology distinguishes between substances that prevent implantation and those that terminate an established pregnancy.
First attested in 1875. abort + -facient (“causing an”), from Latin facere (“to make”).