abort
[ uh-bawrt ]
/ əˈbɔrt /
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verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
a missile, rocket, etc., that has aborted.
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Origin of abort
1570–80; <Latin abortus miscarried (past participle of aborīrī to disappear, miscarry) equivalent to ab-ab- + -or- come into being + -tus past participle suffix
OTHER WORDS FROM abort
un·a·bort·ed, adjectiveWords nearby abort
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for abort
British Dictionary definitions for abort
abort
/ (əˈbɔːt) /
verb
noun
the premature termination or failure of (a space flight, military operation, etc)
Word Origin for abort
C16: from Latin abortāre, from the past participle of aborīrī to miscarry, from ab- wrongly, badly + orīrī to appear, arise, be born
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Medical definitions for abort
abort
[ ə-bôrt′ ]
v.
To expel or cause to expel an embryo or fetus before it is viable.
To arrest a disease in its earliest stages.
To arrest in growth or development; to cause to remain rudimentary.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.