ectopic
Americanadjective
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Out of place, as of an organ not in its proper position, or of a pregnancy occurring elsewhere than in the cavity of the uterus.
-
Of or relating to a heartbeat that has its origin elsewhere than in the sinoatrial node.
Etymology
Origin of ectopic
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.
“I was going to the hospital, I was vocal, I was saying, here’s my OB, here’s my records, she’s saying explicitly, this is ectopic, and none of the ER doctors would respond.”
From Salon • May 26, 2026
The disparity was stark for ectopic pregnancy: The data indicate that the inappropriate provision of mifepristone to a woman with an ectopic pregnancy was between three and six times more likely with remote dispensing.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
But an ectopic pregnancy scare meant she saw a gynaecologist who was able to prescribe xonvea.
From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026
In an ectopic pregnancy, the placenta can’t safely grow, increasing the chances of maternal bleeding and fetal death, according to the release.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025
Illnesses have always run through his family—his father died years ago after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, his aunt died from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, and so on—but Vin believed he was better, stronger.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
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.
