fetal position

noun

: a position (as of a sleeping person) in which the body lies curled up on one side with the arms and legs drawn up and the head bowed forward and which is assumed in some forms of psychic regression

Examples of fetal position in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Take my marbles and go home and get in the fetal position? Tommy McArdle, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025 When the door opened, Combs and his son, Justin Dior Combs, allegedly walked out, leaving a third man bleeding on the floor in a fetal position with gunshot wounds, Jones says in a civil lawsuit. Will Carless, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025 Consequences to that decision show up very early in the seven-episode second season, which doesn't relent until you're left clutching your knees in the fetal position…but in a good way. Ew Staff, EW.com, 11 Apr. 2025 Then, the deputies saw a small puppy curled up in the fetal position and dead inside a pizza box, according to Swanson. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Chris Spargo, People.com, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fetal position

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fetal position was in 1887

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Cite this Entry

“Fetal position.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetal%20position. Accessed 7 May. 2025.

Medical Definition

fetal position

noun
: a position (as of a sleeping person) in which the body lies curled up on one side with the arms and legs drawn up toward the chest and the head is bowed forward and which is assumed in some forms of psychological regression
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