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abortifacient

American  
[uh-bawr-tuh-fey-shuhnt] / əˌbɔr təˈfeɪ ʃənt /

adjective

  1. causing abortion.


noun

  1. a drug or device used to cause abortion.

    a biochemical abortifacient in pill form.

abortifacient British  
/ əˌbɔːtɪˈfeɪʃənt /

adjective

  1. causing abortion

"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

noun

  1. a drug or agent that causes abortion

"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 abortifacient

First recorded in 1870–75; abort + -i- + -facient ( def. )

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.

Benjamin Franklin even included a recipe for an abortifacient in a math textbook, of all places.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2024

Another compound, ulipristal acetate, held similar promise as an emergency contraceptive and fibroid treatment without the baggage of abortifacient branding.

From The Verge • Jul. 23, 2022

In the late 1800s, the New York Times ran stories about abortions performed by Ann Trow Lohman, also known as Madame Restell, who served New York's elite and ran a lucrative mail-order abortifacient business.

From Salon • Jul. 19, 2022

Tennant’s handbook prescribes angelica, an herb known to be an effective abortifacient in the early stages of pregnancy for thousands of years, and which was frequently recommended across early modern herbal books.

From Slate • May 5, 2022

Unfavorable publicity, the abortifacient of new enterprises, would mean you could hardly give the stuff away.

From Greener Than You Think by Moore, Ward