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Abortive

//əˈbɔɹ.tɪv// adj, noun, verb

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Produced by abortion; born prematurely and therefore unnatural. obsolete

    "an abortive child"

  2. 2
    Coming to nothing; failing in its effect. .

    "an abortive attempt"

  3. 3
    Imperfectly formed or developed; rudimentary; sterile.

    "an abortive organ"

  4. 4
    Causing abortion; abortifacient. rare

    "abortive medicines"

  5. 5
    Cutting short; acting to halt or slow the progress (of a disease).

    "abortive treatment of typhoid fever"

Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    Having a short and mild progression, without pronounced symptoms.
  2. 7
    Made from the skin of a still-born animal.

    "abortive vellum"

Adjective
  1. 1
    failing to accomplish an intended result wordnet
Noun
  1. 1
    Someone or something born or brought forth prematurely; an abortion. obsolete
  2. 2
    A fruitless effort. obsolete
  3. 3
    A medicine that causes abortion, an abortifacient. obsolete
  4. 4
    A medicine or treatment acting to halt or slow the progress of a disease. obsolete

    "Naphthalin was praised by Rosbach as an abortive in typhoid fever; Kraemer in 1886, Wilcox in 1887, Sehwald in 1889 and Wolff of Philadelphia in 1891 confirmed Rosbach's observations."

Verb
  1. 1
    To cause an abortion; to render without fruit. obsolete, transitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

First attested in 1382, with the meaning "causing stillbirth or miscarriage". From Middle English abortif, from Old French abortif, from Latin abortīvus (“causing abortion”), from aborior (“miscarry, disappear”), from ab (“amiss”) + orior (“appear, be born, arise”).

Etymology 2

First attested in 1382, with the meaning "causing stillbirth or miscarriage". From Middle English abortif, from Old French abortif, from Latin abortīvus (“causing abortion”), from aborior (“miscarry, disappear”), from ab (“amiss”) + orior (“appear, be born, arise”).

Etymology 3

First attested in 1382, with the meaning "causing stillbirth or miscarriage". From Middle English abortif, from Old French abortif, from Latin abortīvus (“causing abortion”), from aborior (“miscarry, disappear”), from ab (“amiss”) + orior (“appear, be born, arise”).

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