fetus

noun

fe·​tus ˈfē-təs 

: 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

Recent Examples on the Web

In May 2004, he was found guilty of 161 counts of first-degree murder — one for each of the 160 victims who were not federal agents, and one for the fetus of a pregnant woman who died, per SFGate. —Alex Gurley, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025

In these arguments, the fetus was a recessive, even shadowy figure. —Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025

Ultrasounds are used during pregnancy to monitor the growth and development of the fetus, according to the Mayo Clinic. —Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025

Though her fetus was already pressing against her cervix, doctors waited 40 hours until the fetal heartbeat stopped to inducea delivery, putting her at serious risk of deadly infection. —Kavitha Surana, ProPublica, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, act of bearing young, offspring; akin to Latin fetus newly delivered, fruitful — more at feminine

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fetus

• foetus
• meatus
• thetis
• treatise
• caritas
• civitas
• cellulitis
• margaritas
• tonsillitis

Kids 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

ˈfēt-əs 

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