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stillbirth

noun
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still·​birth | \ ˈstil-ˌbərth How to pronounce stillbirth (audio) , -ˈbərth \

Definition of stillbirth

: the birth of a dead fetus

Examples of stillbirth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Within five years, the stillbirth rate in Iowa dropped by a whopping 28 percent. — Gillian Brockell, Washington Post, "Here are all the things I didn’t know about stillbirth, until it happened to me," 15 Oct. 2019 In 2017, an extensive review of previous research on maternal health and climate change found that there are significant connections between extremes in temperatures and premature birth, low birthweight, and stillbirth. — BostonGlobe.com, "Global Change Research Program Report," 29 Sep. 2019 After that, a pregnancy loss is known as stillbirth. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Here’s When to See a Doctor About Period Clots," 1 Mar. 2019 Listeriosis infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or infection of the newborn. — Jack Guy, CNN, "Listeria outbreak infects 175 people during peak tourist season in Spain," 22 Aug. 2019 Little is known about the financial burden of stillbirths nationwide. — Joni Hess, Vox, "From diagnostics to autopsy to burial, stillbirths are alarmingly expensive in America," 30 July 2019 In women, a listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths. — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN, "Sandwiches and salads sold at Target, Fresh Market recalled over Listeria concerns," 20 July 2019 Nearly half of the women whose pregnancy outcomes were known had a miscarriage, stillbirth or preterm birth. — Lauren Caruba, ExpressNews.com, "A ‘scary disease’: Children with Type 2 diabetes suffer from advanced complications, study finds," 28 June 2019 The law allows an exception to protect the woman from a serious health risk or in cases of fetal anomalies that would result in a stillbirth or death shortly after birth. — Mike Cason | Mcason@al.com, al.com, "Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall responds to abortion ban lawsuit," 25 June 2019

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

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First Known Use of stillbirth

1880, in the meaning defined above

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Time Traveler for stillbirth

Time Traveler

The first known use of stillbirth was in 1880

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Statistics for stillbirth

Last Updated

16 Nov 2019

Cite this Entry

“Stillbirth.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stillbirth. Accessed 13 December 2019.

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More Definitions for stillbirth

stillbirth

noun
How to pronounce stillbirth (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of stillbirth

: the birth of a dead baby

See the full definition for stillbirth in the English Language Learners Dictionary

stillbirth

noun
still·​birth | \ ˈstil-ˌbərth, -ˈbərth How to pronounce stillbirth (audio) \

Medical Definition of stillbirth

: the birth of a dead fetus — compare live birth

More from Merriam-Webster on stillbirth

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with stillbirth

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stillbirth

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