therapeutic abortion

Abortion A*bor"tion ([.a]*b[^o]r"sh[u^]n), n. [L. abortio, fr. aboriri. See {Abort}.] 1. The act of giving premature birth; particularly, the expulsion of the human fetus prematurely, or before it is capable of sustaining life; miscarriage. [1913 Webster]

2. The immature product of an untimely birth; a fetus which has been delivered prematurely due to spontaneous or voluntary abortion, and is dead. [1913 Webster +PJC]

3. (Biol.) Arrest of development of any organ, so that it remains an imperfect formation or is absorbed. [1913 Webster]

4. Any fruit or produce that does not come to maturity, or anything which in its progress, before it is matured or perfect; a complete failure; as, his attempt proved an abortion. [1913 Webster]

5. the removal of a fetus from the womb prior to normal delivery in a manner such as to cause the death of the fetus; also called {voluntary abortion}, or when performed by a physician, {therapeutic abortion}. [PJC]

Note: In the 1913 Webster there was the following note appended to sense 1: [hand] It is sometimes used for the offense of procuring a premature delivery, but strictly the early delivery is the abortion, ``causing or procuring abortion'' is the full name of the offense. --Abbott. [PJC]

6. something considered to be a repulsive or monstrous variant of a normal object; a monstrosity. [PJC]