fetus
n. countable C1 Advanced US //ˈfitəs// UK //fˈiːtəs// fe·tus
n. an unborn baby that is still growing inside its mother. It is the name used after the first few months of development until birth.
n. an unborn offspring of a mammal, in particular an unborn human more than eight weeks after conception.
The doctor checked the health of the fetus during the ultrasound.
By the second trimester, the fetus has developed recognizable features and begins to move its limbs.
Medical ethics regarding the fetus often center on the point at which it can survive independently outside the womb, a threshold known as viability.
A learned borrowing from Latin fētus (“offspring”). Doublet of fawn.
Usage
Commonly used in medical and biological contexts; 'foetus' is the standard British English spelling.