ABORTIVE
abortive, stillborn, unsuccessful
(adjective) failing to accomplish an intended result; “an abortive revolt”; “a stillborn plot to assassinate the President”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
abortive (comparative more abortive, superlative most abortive)
(obsolete) Produced by abortion; born prematurely and therefore unnatural. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the mid 18th century.]
Coming to nothing; failing in its effect; miscarrying; fruitless; unsuccessful. [First attested in the late 16th century.]
(biology) Imperfectly formed or developed; rudimentary; sterile. [First attested in the mid 18th century.]
(pharmaceutical effect, medicine, rare, attributive) Causing abortion; abortifacient
(medicine) Cutting short; acting to halt or slow the progress (of a disease).
Made from the skin of a still-born animal.
Noun
abortive (plural abortives)
(obsolete) That which is born or brought forth prematurely; an abortion. [Attested from around (1150 to 1350) until the mid 18th century.]
(obsolete) A fruitless effort or issue. [Attested from the early 17th century until the early 18th century.]
(obsolete) A medicine to which is attributed the property of causing abortion, abortifacient.
Verb
abortive (third-person singular simple present abortives, present participle abortiving, simple past and past participle abortived)
(transitive, obsolete) To cause an abortion; to render without fruit. [Attested only in the 17th century.]
Source: Wiktionary
A*bor"tive, a. Etym: [L. abortivus, fr. aboriri. See Abort, v.]
1. Produced by abortion; born prematurely; as, an abortive child. [R.]
2. Made from the skin of a still-born animal; as, abortive vellum. [Obs.]
3. Rendering fruitless or ineffectual. [Obs.] "Plunged in that abortive gulf." Milton.
4. Coming to naught; failing in its effect; miscarrying; fruitless; unsuccessful; as, an abortive attempt. "An abortive enterprise." Prescott.
5. (Biol.)
Definition: Imperfectly formed or developed; rudimentary; sterile; as, an abortive organ, stamen, ovule, etc.
6. (Med.) (a) Causing abortion; as, abortive medicines. Parr. (b) Cutting short; as, abortive treatment of typhoid fever.
A*bor"tive, n.
1. That which is born or brought forth prematurely; an abortion. [Obs.] Shak.
2. A fruitless effort or issue. [Obs.]
3. A medicine to which is attributed the property of causing abortion. Dunglison.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
2 April 2025
COVERT
(adjective) secret or hidden; not openly practiced or engaged in or shown or avowed; “covert actions by the CIA”; “covert funding for the rebels”
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