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.
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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.
Ectopic pregnancies are when the embryo starts growing outside the womb, usually in the fallopian tube, and can be life-threatening.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026
Ectopic pregnancies often become life-threatening emergencies and abortion clinics aren’t set up to treat them.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 16, 2022
Ectopic pregnancies — when the fetus implants outside the uterus, usually in one of the fallopian tubes and sometimes on the ovaries or in the cervix — don’t always show up on scans.
From Washington Post • Jul. 16, 2022
Ectopic pregnancies happen when an embryo implants outside of the uterus and cannot medically result in the birth of a baby.
From Salon • Mar. 11, 2022
Ectopic gestation is a disease, not a physiological condition.
From Essays In Pastoral Medicine by ?Malley, Austin
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.
