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ODE→abortive

abortive

Flag: gbEnglishOxford Dictionary of English
abortive /əˈbɔːtɪv /
▸ adjective
1 failing to produce the intended result:
rebel officers led the abortive coup
the naval campaign proved abortive
an abortive attempt to secure funding.
2 Medicine (of a virus infection) failing to produce symptoms.
▪ dated (of an organ or organism) rudimentary; arrested in development:
abortive medusae.
3 rare causing or resulting in the premature termination of pregnancy:
abortive techniques.
– DERIVATIVES
abortively adverb
– ORIGIN Middle English (as a noun denoting a stillborn child or animal): via Old French from Latin abortivus, from aboriri ‘miscarry’ (see abort).