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| a·bort [ ə báwrt ] (past and past participle a·bort·ed, present participle a·bort·ing, 3rd person present singular a·borts) |
verb |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive verb remove fetus: to remove an embryo or fetus from the womb in order to end a pregnancy
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2. intransitive verb have miscarriage: to give birth to an embryo or fetus before its independent survival is possible. Survival is usually possible at about 24 weeks for human fetuses.
(
technical
)
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3. transitive and intransitive verb end something prematurely: to bring something to an end or come to an end at an early stage
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4. transitive and intransitive verb abandon mission: to end a space flight or similar mission before it is completed
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5. transitive and intransitive verb comput quit computer program: to abandon a computer program, command, or operation before it has finished
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| [Mid-16th century. < Latin abort-, past participle of aboriri "miscarry" < oriri "come into being"] |
