afterbirth

American  

[af-ter-burth, ahf-] / ˈæf tərˌbɜrθ, ˈɑf- /

noun

1. the placenta and fetal membranes expelled from the uterus after childbirth.

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afterbirth British  

/ ˈɑːftəˌbɜːθ /

noun

1. the placenta and fetal membranes expelled from the uterus after the birth of the offspring

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afterbirth Scientific  

/ ăf′tər-bûrth′ /

1. The placenta and fetal membranes expelled from the uterus following the birth of a mammal.

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Etymology

Origin of afterbirth

First recorded in 1580–90; after + birth

Example Sentences

For once, Deborah feels what it's like to be upstaged, whether by her ego, her prejudices, or, at a clarifying low point, an animal's afterbirth.

From Salon • May 12, 2022

“It was years later,” says Reed-Allen now living in Urbana, Md., “when I realized afterbirth had been left inside me and that I could have died.”

From Washington Post • Dec. 10, 2021

During the three days I spend there, it smells strongly of afterbirth and the floor is flecked with blood and dirt.

From The Guardian • Oct. 2, 2017

The first feminist interpretation of Frankenstein was by Ellen Moers, who read Shelley's novel as a sublimated afterbirth, says Diane Hoeveler, from Marquette University in Wisconsin, US.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2011

When a mother delivers her babe, parsley seeds aid in bringing away the afterbirth cleanly.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein