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

Using RU 486 was less painful, carried less risk of infection and gave women greater control over the process than a surgical procedure.

From Time Magazine Archive

It took six more years and tests on more than 17,000 women before the French government announced that RU 486 would be made available for public use.

From Time Magazine Archive

In 1989 RU 486 was made available to all licensed abortion clinics and hospitals in France.

From Time Magazine Archive

There are also indications that RU 486 can combat endometriosis, a leading cause of female infertility, and fibroid tumors, a condition that often necessitates hysterectomy.

From Time Magazine Archive

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