fetus

noun fe·tus \ ˈfē-təs \

|Updated on: 20 Jun 2018

: 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 1b

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Recent Examples of fetus from the Web

These toxins caused farm worker women to lose their fetuses or give birth to deformed children.

— richard j. gonzales, star-telegram, "Fort Worth’s Chicana Queen devoted her life to social justice," 12 June 2018
The law's only exceptions are if the fetus has severe health problems or if the mother's life is threatened by the pregnancy.

— maria clark, NOLA.com, "Woman gives birth in Mississippi abortion clinic: report," 1 June 2018
That’s because the fetus growing inside is entirely reliant on the placenta, which performs a dizzying array of functions (supplying oxygen, food and more) that will later be divvied up among the liver, kidneys, gut and lungs.

— jared gilmour, miamiherald, "You can inherit schizophrenia. But what happens during pregnancy is key, new study says," 28 May 2018
Come May 25, Ireland will go to the polls in a referendum on whether to repeal the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which says a fetus has an equal right to life as the mother.

— sheena mckenzie, CNN, "'Irish abortions happen; they just don't happen on Irish soil'," 22 May 2018
The results brought Mellet’s world crashing down: The fetus had Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards syndrome, and would die in her womb or upon delivery.

— isaac stanley-becker, Washington Post, "How an Irish-American woman’s legal case helped spur Ireland’s abortion referendum," 17 May 2018
Genetic testing had determined the fetus wouldn't have CF, and Heichelbech's heart was set on keeping the baby.

— holly v. hays, Indianapolis Star, "Cystic fibrosis, lung transplant — she was never supposed to be a ‘mama.’ But she is.," 9 May 2018
Bill supporters noted that at 10 weeks, an ultrasound shows that a fetus has fingers, hands, arms, toes, feet, legs and ears.

— NBC News, "Federal judge puts strict Kentucky abortion law on hold," 13 Apr. 2018
This patient had Medicaid coverage, and was carrying multiple fetuses with conjoinment issues and shared and missing organs.

— jennifer wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "Inside the Modern-Day Underground Railroad for Abortions," 31 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fetus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.