n. [ L. abortio, fr. aboriri. See Abort. ] 1. The act of giving premature birth; particularly, the expulsion of the human fetus prematurely, or before it is capable of sustaining life; miscarriage. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. The immature product of an untimely birth; a fetus which has been delivered prematurely due to spontaneous or voluntary abortion, and is dead. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ] 3. (Biol.) Arrest of development of any organ, so that it remains an imperfect formation or is absorbed. [ 1913 Webster ] 4. Any fruit or produce that does not come to maturity, or anything which in its progress, before it is matured or perfect; a complete failure; as, his attempt proved an abortion. [ 1913 Webster ] 5. the removal of a fetus from the womb prior to normal delivery in a manner such as to cause the death of the fetus; also called voluntary abortion, or when performed by a physician, therapeutic abortion. [ PJC ] In the 1913 Webster there was the following note appended to sense 1:
☞ It is sometimes used for the offense of procuring a premature delivery, but strictly the early delivery is the abortion, “causing or procuring abortion” is the full name of the offense. Abbott. [ PJC ] 6. something considered to be a repulsive or monstrous variant of a normal object; a monstrosity. [ PJC ] | 
