superfetation
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
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.
A rare condition known as superfetation makes it possible to conceive for a second time when pregnant.
From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2016
Pregnancy normally stops the monthly cycle of ovulation but superfetation allows it to continue.
From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2016
He deduced that the imperfect offsprings were younger ones who had spent less time in their mother’s womb—a direct consequence of superfetation.
From Scientific American ● Apr. 27, 2011
For this reason, it is probable that many more mammals may be accustomed to superfetation.
From Scientific American ● Apr. 27, 2011
In this strange case, possibly an example of superfetation, the patient made a good recovery and the first child lived.
From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Walter L. (Walter Lytle) Pyle
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
