Daily Almanac for
Feb 9, 2010
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a•bor•tion



Pronunciation: (u-bôr'shun), [key]
—n.
1. Also called voluntary abortion. the removal of an embryo or fetus from the uterus in order to end a pregnancy.
2. any of various surgical methods for terminating a pregnancy, esp. during the first six months.
3. Also called spontaneous abortion. miscarriage (def. 3).
4. an immature and nonviable fetus.
5. abortus (def. 2b).
6. any malformed or monstrous person, thing, etc.
7. Biol.the arrested development of an embryo or an organ at a more or less early stage.
8. the stopping of an illness, infection, etc., at a very early stage.
9. Informal.
a. shambles; mess.
b. anything that fails to develop, progress, or mature, as a design or project.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.

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