stillborn

American  

[stil-bawrn] / ˈstɪlˌbɔrn /

adjective

1. dead when born. bear. born.

2. ineffectual from the beginning; abortive; fruitless.

   a stillborn plan of escape.

---

stillborn British  

/ ˈstɪlˌbɔːn /

adjective

1. (of a fetus) dead at birth

2. (of an idea, plan, etc) fruitless; abortive; unsuccessful

---

noun

1. a stillborn fetus or baby

Etymology

Origin of stillborn

First recorded in 1590–1600; still ¹ + born

Example Sentences

Katherine James, 58, from Port Talbot, who lost her stillborn daughter more than 35 years ago, said: "It's heart-breaking for families - I want to be with my little girl".

From BBC

But in her last year of primary school, tragedy struck her family when her brother Alfie was stillborn and the young Ayla wrongly thought it was her fault.

From BBC

Two weeks before, unforgettably terribly, there had been a unicorn foal, pure gold, stillborn.

From Literature

Two horses were dead when he arrived, including a foal that appeared stillborn or miscarried.

From Los Angeles Times

The opening chorus of Act 2, in which the Puritans grieve over Elvira’s madness, features a woman giving birth to a stillborn baby in full view of the community.

From The Wall Street Journal