What does "abortion" mean?

1. (medical termination) a medical procedure or natural event that ends a pregnancy before the baby is born. 2. (failure of a project) the act of stopping a plan or project before it is finished because it is failing. 3. (biological arrest) when an organ or part of a plant stops growing before it is fully formed.

How do you use "abortion"?

Often used with the verbs 'have', 'perform', or 'undergo'. Commonly used in technical or military contexts regarding missions.

abortion

US //əˈbɔɹʃən// UK //ɐbˈɔːʃən// abor·tion

1 medical termination (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

a medical procedure or natural event that ends a pregnancy before the baby is born.

the expulsion or removal of an embryo or foetus from the uterus before it is able to survive on its own.

Example

The law regarding abortion varies significantly from one country to another.

Example

The clinic provides comprehensive reproductive healthcare services, including counseling for patients considering a medical abortion.

Usage

Often used with the verbs 'have', 'perform', or 'undergo'.
- termination
- miscarriage
- birth
- childbirth
2 failure of a project (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal

the act of stopping a plan or project before it is finished because it is failing.

the premature cessation or abandonment of a project, mission, or process.

Example

The abortion of the space mission was necessary due to a fuel leak.

Example

The sudden abortion of the merger talks left investors concerned about the company's long-term stability.

Usage

Commonly used in technical or military contexts regarding missions.
- completion
- success

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3 biological arrest (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Science

when an organ or part of a plant stops growing before it is fully formed.

the arrest of development of an organ or organism, resulting in an imperfect or incomplete formation.

Example

The disease caused the abortion of the flower buds before they could bloom.

Example

Genetic mutations can lead to the abortion of limb development during the embryonic stage of the organism.
- atrophy
- stunting
- maturation
- growth

Origin

From the Latin abortiōnem, the accusative form of abortiō, which in turn derives from aborior, meaning to miscarry. This Latin introduction eventually displaced the native Old English ǣwyrp, which translated literally as a throwing out or a rejection. The modern term is the morphological equivalent of abort + -ion.