fetus
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 sense 1a
Examples of fetus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Federal law allows states to prohibit abortions after fetuses are viable outside the womb, which can be from 24 to 28 weeks. — NBC News, "Missouri abortion law should be blocked, Planned Parenthood tells judge," 26 Aug. 2019 Federal law allows states to prohibit abortions after fetuses are viable outside the womb, which can be from 24 to 28 weeks. — Washington Post, "Planned Parenthood asks judge to pause Missouri abortion law," 26 Aug. 2019 The neural stem cells were generated in 2000 from a human fetus, Snyder said. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Neural stem cells to be readied for newborn therapy under $5M grant to San Diego researcher," 20 Aug. 2019 The most haunting scene of the film is wordless—a nearly unbearable sequence of images revealing what appear to be full-term fetuses discarded in garbage heaps. — Brandon Yu, The Atlantic, "One Child Nation Paints a Harrowing Picture of an Infamous Policy," 13 Aug. 2019 Federal standards, based on past Supreme Court decisions, consider viability to mean when a fetus can survive on its own outside the womb. — Kate Smith, CBS News, "Tennessee to push for total abortion ban with sights on Supreme Court," 12 Aug. 2019 She was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated child abuse and two counts of viable fetus as victim. — Theresa Waldrop And Tina Burnside, CNN, "Tennessee woman faces murder charges after newborn twins die with drugs in their systems," 26 July 2019 Some ultraconservative Catholics, including Kunkel, are against certain vaccinations because their creation involves the use of fetal cells that were derived from aborted fetuses several decades ago. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Anti-vax teen that fought ban amid chickenpox outbreak loses in court—again," 1 July 2019 Eklund says one of the most valuable tools at her disposal is a developmental chart that shows a fetus’s growth alongside the systems that alcohol has the potential to affect at any point in a pregnancy. — Anchorage Daily News, "In search of a better conversation about alcohol and pregnancy," 26 June 2019These 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.
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More Definitions for fetus
fetus
noun
English Language Learners Definition of fetus
: a human being or animal in the later stages of development before it is born
See the full definition for fetus in the English Language Learners Dictionary
fetus
noun
fe·tus
| \ ˈfē-təs
\
\
Kids Definition of fetus
: an animal not yet born or hatched but more developed than an embryo
fetus
noun
fe·tus
variants:
or chiefly British foetus \ ˈfēt-əs
\
\
plural fetuses
or chiefly British foetuses
or foeti\ ˈfēt-ˌī
\
\
Medical 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
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