(dated) The immature product of an untimely birth. [First attested in the late 16th century.]
A monstrosity; a misshapen person. [First attested in the late 16th century.]
(figuratively) Failure of a promise or a goal. [First attested in the early 18th century.]
(biology) Arrest of development of any organ, so that it remains an imperfect formation or is absorbed. [First attested in the mid 18th century.]
Any fruit or produce which is interrupted in its progress before it is matured or perfect; an idea, project, or anything that does not come to maturity.
(chiefly art) Something ugly, an artistic atrocity.
The cessation of an illness or disease at a very early stage.
An unpleasant or poorly executed idea or project.
The act of aborting (an undertaking, such as a project or trip).
“Nearly all those who decided against having an abortion were in the second trimester of pregnancy.”
“The military coup that overthrew the government in 1960 led to the abortion of the project before it even got underway.”
“I freely gave my opinion to Mr. Cherry that the whole colonization project was an abortion.”
abort
(obsolete) A miscarriage; an untimely birth; an abortion. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the mid 17th century.]
(now rare) The product of a miscarriage; an aborted offspring; an abortion. [First attested in the early 17th century.]
(military, aeronautics) An early termination of a mission, action, or procedure in relation to missiles or spacecraft; the craft making such a mission.
