superfetation

American

[soo-per-fee-tey-shuhn] / ˌsu pər fiˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

the fertilization of an ovum in a female mammal already pregnant.

superfetation British

/ ˌsuːpəˈfiːteɪt, ˌsuːpəfiːˈteɪʃən /

noun

physiol the presence in the uterus of two fetuses developing from ova fertilized at different times

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

superfetate

adjective

Etymology

Origin of superfetation

1595–1605; < Latin superfētāt ( us ) (past participle of superfētāre to conceive again while still pregnant, equivalent to super- super- + fētā ( re ) to breed ( see fetus) + -tus past participle suffix) + -ion

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.

Superfetation is the onset of a subsequent pregnancy during an ongoing pregnancy; a new pregnancy during an initial pregnancy.

From Scientific American • Apr. 27, 2011

Superfetation in mammalian pregnancy can be detected and increases reproductive output per breeding season.

From Scientific American • Apr. 27, 2011

Superfetation has been known for many centuries; the Romans had laws prescribing the laws of succession in such cases, and many medical writers have mentioned it.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)

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