: an unborn or unhatched vertebrate especially after attaining the basic structural plan of its kind
specifically
: a developing human from usually two months after conception to birth compare embryo sense 1a
Examples of fetus in a Sentence
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Cortney said Park's body was then pushed down an embankment and covered with leaves, and that the fetus was placed in a cooler, then a trash bag, before being thrown into a dumpster.
—
Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Affects Fetal Health Eating ham may affect the health of an unborn fetus.
—Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 9 Dec. 2025
These costs could ultimately fall on water customers, but the broader public also bears much of the cost of harm to fetuses.
—Ashley Langer, The Conversation, 8 Dec. 2025
During the first 90 days of pregnancy, the fetus begins forming its organs, and the placenta establishes itself as the lifeline between mother and baby, regulating nutrients, oxygen and metabolic waste.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fetus
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Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Affects Fetal Health Eating ham may affect the health of an unborn fetus.
—Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 9 Dec. 2025
These costs could ultimately fall on water customers, but the broader public also bears much of the cost of harm to fetuses.
—Ashley Langer, The Conversation, 8 Dec. 2025
During the first 90 days of pregnancy, the fetus begins forming its organs, and the placenta establishes itself as the lifeline between mother and baby, regulating nutrients, oxygen and metabolic waste.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fetus
Cite this Entry
“Fetus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetus. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fetus
noun
fe·tus
ˈfēt-əs 
plural fetuses
: a young animal while in the body of its mother or in the egg especially in the later stages of development
especially
: a developing human being in the uterus from usually two months after pregnancy occurs to birth compare embryo sense 1
Medical Definition
fetus
noun
fe·tus
variants
or chiefly British foetus
plural fetuses or chiefly British foetuses or foeti
ˈfēt-ˌī
: an unborn or unhatched vertebrate especially after attaining the basic structural plan of its kind
specifically
: a developing human from usually two months after conception to birth compare embryo
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