abortif

French

Etymology

From Old French, from Latin abortivus. Cognate with Italian abortivo.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

abortif (feminine abortive, masculine plural abortifs, feminine plural abortives)

1. abortive; unavailing; futile
2. (medicine) Capable of causing abortion when absorbed
3. (botany) abortive, fruitless; sterile

Noun

abortif m (plural abortifs)

1. (medicine) an abortifacient

References

• Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.

Further reading

• “abortif”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.