fetus

play

noun fe·tus \ˈfē-təs\

Definition of fetus

: 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

See fetus defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of fetus from the Web

If someone who’s pregnant gets Zika, however, the consequences for the fetus can be devastating.

— julie beck, The Atlantic, "The Case for Testing Zika Vaccines on Pregnant Women," 6 July 2017
The traditional preference among Chinese parents for boys rather than girls, which caused many parents to abort female fetuses, pushed the male-to-female ratio up to 120-100 in some provinces during the one-child years.

— Bloomberg.com, "Why China’s Two-Child Policy Shift Comes Too Late: QuickTake Q&A," 5 July 2017
The groups said the tissue disposal law would require notification of a third party, such as the woman’s sexual partner or her parents, before the abortion to determine how the fetus would be disposed of.

— andrew demillo, The Seattle Times, "Groups file lawsuits over new Arkansas abortion restrictions," 20 June 2017
Columbus Police Detective Wayne Fairbairn said the feticide charge in Georgia refers to the killing of a fetus.

— greg garrison, AL.com, "Ex-Alabama pastor jailed in Georgia for kidnapping, assault, feticide," 16 June 2017
Reid and his team showed each fetus both dot patterns five times, moving the light across each woman’s abdomen for five seconds.

— bahar gholipour, Scientific American, "Fetuses May Respond to Faces While in the Womb," 16 June 2017
But the uterus is now thought to transmit light in amounts that a fetus can see.

— bahar gholipour, Scientific American, "Fetuses May Respond to Faces While in the Womb," 16 June 2017
The law, passed in 1998, allows adult pregnant women suspected of drug or alcohol use that could affect their fetus to be held in custody and subjected to involuntary medical treatment.

— scott bauer, The Seattle Times, "Wisconsin seeks emergency action in ‘cocaine mom’ case," 13 June 2017
Perhaps, Reid suggests, those patterns of light could influence the development of the fetus’s eye and brain, making the upper half of visual field more sensitive.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "Fetuses Prefer Face-Like Images Even in the Womb," 8 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of fetus

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Embryology Terms

gravid, neonate, ontogeny, parturition

FETUS Defined for English Language Learners

fetus

play

noun

Definition of fetus for English Language Learners

: a human being or animal in the later stages of development before it is born

FETUS Defined for Kids

fetus

play

noun fe·tus \ˈfē-təs\

Definition of fetus for Students

: an animal not yet born or hatched but more developed than an embryo

Medical Dictionary

fetus

noun fe·tus

variants: or chiefly British

foetus

\ˈfēt-əs\play

Medical Definition of fetus

plural

fetuses

or chiefly British

foetuses

foeti

\ˈfēt-ˌī\play

: 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