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: 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
The amendment will allow lawmakers to restrict abortions only past the point of a fetus’s viability.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 6 Nov. 2024
The state will now permit abortions until a fetus can survive outside the womb, typically around 24 weeks into a pregnancy, with exceptions to save the mother's life or protect her body.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
But doctors said her six-month fetus had a heartbeat and that Crain was fine to leave.
—Lizzie Presser and Kavitha Surana, CNN, 3 Nov. 2024
But doctors said her fetus had a heartbeat and that Crain was fine to leave.
—ProPublica, 2 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Fetus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetus. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.
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
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
More from Merriam-Webster on fetus
Nglish: Translation of fetus for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of fetus for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fetus
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