false pregnancy

American

noun

Pathology, Veterinary Pathology.

physiological signs of pregnancy without conception; pseudocyesis.

false pregnancy British

noun

another name for phantom pregnancy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of false pregnancy

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Clark has seen several cases of false pregnancy in her practice.

From National Geographic • Sep. 11, 2023

Zoo experts said Mei Xiang, who is 21, started to show changes in her behavior this week that might be a sign she’s pregnant — or having a false pregnancy.

From Washington Post • Aug. 7, 2019

The legal battle between Drake and an Instagram model who made false pregnancy and rape claims against him is over.

From Fox News • Dec. 2, 2018

If she does not give birth at the end of the cycle, she has experienced what is a called a false pregnancy or pseudopregnancy.

From Washington Post • Aug. 10, 2015

Back in 1953 Penelope fooled everybody with a false pregnancy.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023