fetal position

American  

noun

1. a bodily posture resembling that of the fetus in the uterus, in which the body is curled with head and limbs drawn in, sometimes assumed in states of fear or emotional withdrawal.

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fetal position British  

noun

1. a bodily position similar to that of a fetus in the womb, with the knees up towards the chest and the head bent forward

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Etymology

Origin of fetal position

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

"I get into bed in the fetal position and my shoulder is absolutely killing me."

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

He was right: There was something eerily peaceful about the grid of women folded in fetal position.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

The witness testified that she spotted Lockhart in a nearby yard two years ago on June 30, apparently clutching her belly in pain and lying in the fetal position.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2025

In “Unemployment,” life-size sculptures of office workers curled up in the fetal position are wrapped in transparent plastic trash bags, gesturing at the disposability of human labor.

From New York Times • Feb. 23, 2024

But the thought of freeing Thanatos made Frank want to curl into the fetal position.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan