Synonyms

RU 486

American

Or RU-486

noun

mifepristone.

RU 486 Scientific

/ är′yo̅o̅fôr′ā-tē-sĭks′ /

An oral drug that terminates early pregnancy by interfering with the action of progesterone, thereby preventing the attachment of a fertilized ovum to the uterine wall.

Etymology

Origin of RU 486

First recorded in 1980; designation given the compound by its French manufacturer, Roussel UCLAF, Paris

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.

Women using RU 486 miscarry at home, and not on a schedule.

From Time • Feb. 19, 2015

Although testing a new drug generally takes seven to 10 years, RU 486 has been so widely used in France that U.S. approval could come in as little as two to three years.

From Time Magazine Archive

More than 200,000 European women have used RU 486, which induces an abortion in 95% of cases.

From Time Magazine Archive

When Baulieu first began experimenting with RU 486 in combination with an oral prostaglandin, Roussel balked.

From Time Magazine Archive

The organization helped Leona Benten, a pregnant 29-year-old California social worker, fly to England, obtain a dose of RU 486, then try to bring it into the U.S. through New York City's Kennedy Airport.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023