abort

[uh-bawrt]

verb (used without object)

1. to bring forth a fetus from the uterus before the fetus is viable; miscarry.

2. to develop incompletely; remain in a rudimentary or undeveloped state.

3. to fail, cease, or stop at an early or premature stage.

4. Military.,  to fail to accomplish a purpose or mission for any reason other than enemy action.

5. Rocketry.,  (of a missile) to stop before the scheduled flight is completed.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to bring forth (a fetus) from the uterus before the fetus is viable.

2. to cause (a pregnant female) to be delivered of a nonviable fetus.

3. to cause to cease or end at an early or premature stage.

   We aborted our vacation when the car broke down.

4. to terminate (a missile flight, mission, etc.) before completion.

5. to put down or quell in the early stages.

   Troops aborted the uprising.

noun

1. a missile, rocket, etc., that has aborted.

abort

/ əˈbɔːt /

verb

1. to undergo or cause (a woman) to undergo the termination of pregnancy before the fetus is viable

2. (tr) to cause (a fetus) to be expelled from the womb before it is viable

3. (intr) to fail to come to completion; go wrong

4. (tr) to stop the development of; cause to be abandoned

5. (intr) to give birth to a dead or nonviable fetus

6. (of a space flight, military operation, etc) to fail or terminate prematurely

7. (intr) (of an organism or part of an organism) to fail to develop into the mature form

noun

1. the premature termination or failure of (a space flight, military operation, etc)

Other Word Forms

• unaborted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of abort¹

First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin abortus “miscarried,” past participle of aborīrī “to disappear, miscarry,” equivalent to ab- ab- + orīrī “to rise, come into being”; orient ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of abort¹

C16: from Latin abortāre, from the past participle of aborīrī to miscarry, from ab- wrongly, badly + orīrī to appear, arise, be born

Example Sentences

Piastri went fifth but Norris aborted his first push lap, both showing signs of the pressures of their title duel.

Read more on Barron's

Moscow both overestimated the Wagner Group’s strength as a power in Africa, now in shambles, and underestimated its potential to threaten the Russian government, as it did with an aborted coup.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Apparently, the plan was aborted after several FBI supervisors refused to cooperate, viewing it as inappropriate.

Read more on Salon

US prosecutors have claimed a Libyan man freely confessed to taking part in attacks on Americans, including the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and an aborted attempt to assassinate a US politician with a booby-trapped overcoat.

Read more on BBC

Mifepristone makes abortions safer and less painful, and without access, women will likely still abort pregnancies at home.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• break off 
• cut off 
• halt 
• interrupt 
• nullify 
• scrap 
• scrub 
• terminate