Dictionary

abortive

Pronunciation

Adjective

abortive

(obsolete) Produced by abortion; born prematurely and therefore unnatural. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the mid 18^th century.]
- 1592, William Shakespeare, Richard III, Act I, sc. 3:
  Thou elvish-marked, abortive, rooting hog!
an abortive child
Coming to nothing; failing in its effect; miscarrying; fruitless; unsuccessful. [First attested in the late 16^th century.]
an abortive attempt
- 1851, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The House of Seven Gables, Chapter 7:
  He made a salutation, or, to speak nearer the truth, an ill-defined, abortive attempt at curtsy.
(biology) Imperfectly formed or developed; rudimentary; sterile. [First attested in the mid 18^th century.]
an abortive organ
an abortive stamen
an abortive ovule
(pharmaceutical effect, medicine, rare, attributive) Causing abortion; abortifacient
abortive medicines
(medicine) Cutting short; acting to halt or slow the progress (of a disease).
abortive treatment of typhoid fever
Made from the skin of a still-born animal.
abortive vellum

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Noun

abortive (plural abortives)

(obsolete) That which is born or brought forth prematurely; an abortion. [Attested from around (1150 to 1350) until the mid 18^th century.]
(obsolete) A fruitless effort or issue. [Attested from the early 17^th century until the early 18^th century.]
(obsolete) A medicine to which is attributed the property of causing abortion, abortifacient.

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Verb

abortive (abortives, present participle abortiving; past and past participle abortived)

(transitive, obsolete) To cause an abortion; to render without fruit. [Attested only in the 17^th century.]

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