Nearby Words

abortive

[uh-bawr-tiv] Example Sentences Origin

a·bor·tive

[uh-bawr-tiv]
adjective
1.
failing to succeed; unsuccessful: an abortive rebellion; an abortive scheme.
2.
born prematurely.
3.
imperfectly developed; rudimentary.
4.
Medicine/Medical.
a.
producing or intended to produce abortion; abortifacient.
b.
acting to halt progress of a disease.
5.
Pathology. (of the course of a disease) short and mild without the usual, pronounced clinical symptoms.
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6.
Botany. (of seeds or pollen grains) imperfect; unable to germinate.
COLLAPSE

Origin:
1300–50; Middle English < Latin abortīvus. See abort, -ive

a·bor·tive·ly, adverb
a·bor·tive·ness, noun
non·a·bort·ive, adjective
non·a·bort·ive·ly, adverb
non·a·bort·ive·ness, noun
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un·a·bor·tive, adjective
un·a·bor·tive·ly, adverb
un·a·bor·tive·ness, noun
COLLAPSE


1. fruitless, ineffectual, bootless, unavailing, vain.


1. successful.

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Abortive is always a great word to know.
So is hallux. Does it mean:
the first or innermost digit of the foot of humans and other primates or of the hind foot of other mammals; great toe; big toe.
a bone in the human leg extending from the pelvis to the knee, that is the longest, largest, and strongest in the body; thighbone.
Example Sentences
  • The young prisoners ultimately stage an abortive revolt against their tormentors.
  • The abortive bid to exile the women, who both led kleptocratic regimes, has already badly dented its credibility.
  • Thank goodness it does not seem to have been an abortive effort.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
abortive (əˈbɔːtɪv)
 
adj
1.  failing to achieve a purpose; fruitless
2.  (of organisms) imperfectly developed; rudimentary
3.  causing abortion; abortifacient

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

abortive
late 14c., from L. abortivus "causing abortion," from abortus, pp. of aboriri "disappear, miscarry," from ab- "amiss" + oriri "appear, be born, arise" (see orchestra); the compound word used in L. for deaths, miscarriages, sunsets, etc. The L. verb for "to produce an
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abortion" was abigo, lit. "to drive away." Not originally used to imply forced or deliberate miscarriage; from 14c.-18c. stillborn children or domestic animals were said to be abortive. Also see abortion.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

abortive a·bor·tive (ə-bôr'tĭv)
adj.

  1. Not reaching completion, as of a disease subsiding before it has finished its course.

  2. Partially or imperfectly developed; rudimentary.

  3. Abortifacient.


a·bor'tive·ly adv.
a·bor'tive·ness n.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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