abort

verb
\ ə-ˈbȯrt How to pronounce abort (audio) \
aborted; aborting; aborts

Definition of abort

 (Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to bring forth stillborn, nonviable, or premature offspring
2 : to become checked in development so as to degenerate or remain rudimentary
3 : to terminate a procedure prematurely the pilot decided to abort due to mechanical difficulties

transitive verb

1a : to induce the abortion of or give birth to prematurely
b : to terminate the pregnancy of before term
2a : to terminate prematurely : cancel abort a project abort a spaceflight
b : to stop in the early stages abort a disease

abort

noun

Definition of abort (Entry 2 of 2)

: the premature termination of a flight (as of an aircraft or spacecraft), a mission, or an action or procedure relating to a flight a launch abort

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Other Words from abort

Verb

aborter noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for abort

Synonyms: Verb

abandon, call, call off, cancel, cry off, drop, recall, repeal, rescind, revoke, scrap, scrub

Antonyms: Verb

continue, keep

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Examples of abort in a Sentence

Verb

They decided to abort the pregnancy. abort the launch of a rocket I suggest that you abort the project. The mission had to be aborted. When problems occurred during the launch, it was necessary to abort.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Starhopper's successful run came one day after a hop attempt was aborted three seconds after the Raptor engine fired up. Jackie Wattles, CNN, "SpaceX's massive Starship prototype lifts off," 26 July 2019 Media reports said the launch was aborted after ISRO scientists identified a leak while filling helium in the rocket's cryogenic engine. NBC News, "India launches unmanned moon mission a week after it was aborted," 22 July 2019 These Bibles never made it to the moon either, because the landing attempt was aborted. Daniel Oberhaus, WIRED, "Spaceflight and Spirituality, a Complicated Relationship," 16 July 2019 Trump attempted to visit during a trip to Korea in November 2017, but the plan was aborted after Marine One encountered bad weather, forcing it to return to Seoul. The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "Trump tweets at Kim Jong Un to meet him at the DMZ," 28 June 2019 But two senior United States officials said again on Friday that the military had received the president’s go-ahead and that jets were headed toward targets in Iran when the mission was aborted. Michael D. Shear, New York Times, "Trump Says He Was ‘Cocked and Loaded’ to Strike Iran, but Pulled Back," 21 June 2019 There’s some drama to the launch because the previous one, in October, was aborted just 57 miles up when a sensor malfunction prompted the crew capsule to separate from the rocket and booster assembly. National Geographic, "Countdown to a new era inSpace," 17 June 2019 He was forced to cancel tour dates in February last year due to the flu, and last January he was forced to abort a concert in San Diego, Calif., due to breathing difficulties. Mike Miller, EW.com, "Willie Nelson cancels another tour due to 'breathing problem'," 8 Aug. 2019 The goal is for these machines to reach a consensus—either all agreeing to proceed or all agreeing to abort. Cal Newport, The New Yorker, "Was E-mail a Mistake?," 6 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

At 25 weeks a fetus weighs around a pound and a half and is over a foot long; some of those Dr Carhart aborts are older. The Economist, "What explains Donald Trump’s war on late-term abortions?," 22 Aug. 2019 The Crew Dragon in question was launched on a successful unpiloted test flight to the station in March and was being prepared for an in-flight test of its emergency abort system. William Harwood, CBS News, "Explosion that destroyed SpaceX Crew Dragon is blamed on leaking valve," 15 July 2019 Congratulations to our @NASA_Orion team on a successful test of the launch abort system! Fox News, "Watch NASA launch its Orion Moon capsule atop a missile in spectacular safety test," 3 July 2019 The launch abort system won’t be needed for Artemis 1 as the first test mission won’t carry astronauts. Chabeli Herrera, orlandosentinel.com, "NASA’s Orion astronaut capsule endures intense test over the Space Coast. Up next: The moon," 2 July 2019 Last October, a launch abort system on a Russian rocket saved the lives of two astronauts. NBC News, "NASA launches Orion crew capsule to test abort system," 2 July 2019 Work on the launch abort system largely has been conducted at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Alex Stuckey, Houston Chronicle, "Here's how to watch NASA's test of Orion abort system live today," 1 July 2019 The company believes that the problem originated with the Crew Dragon’s emergency abort system, which consists of a series of small thrusters embedded within the capsule. Loren Grush, The Verge, "SpaceX finally reveals cause of April spacecraft explosion," 15 July 2019 The company has several Dragon capsules in production, and once ground tests are complete the next step will be to perform an in-flight abort test. Daniel Oberhaus, WIRED, "A Leaky Component Caused the SpaceX Crew Dragon Explosion," 15 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abort.' 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 abort

Verb

1540, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1944, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for abort

Verb

in part borrowed from Latin abortus, past participle of aborīrī "to pass away, be lost, (of a fetus) miscarry, be aborted, (of a woman) miscarry," from ab- ab- + orīrī "to rise, come into existence, be born"; in part borrowed from Late Latin abortīre and abortīrī "(of a woman) to miscarry," derivatives of Latin aborīrī — more at orient entry 1

Noun

noun derivative of abort entry 1

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More Definitions for abort

abort

verb

English Language Learners Definition of abort

: to end a pregnancy deliberately by causing the death of the fetus
: to stop something before it is completed because of problems or danger
\ ə-ˈbȯ(ə)rt How to pronounce abort (audio) \

Medical Definition of abort