1. To give birth prematurely or before term; miscarry. 2. To cease growth before full development or maturation. 3. To terminate an operation or procedure, as with a project, missile, airplane, or space vehicle, before completion.
TRANSITIVE VERB:
1a. To cause to terminate (a pregnancy) prematurely, especially before the fetus is viable. b. To cause the expulsion of (an embryo or fetus) before it is viable. c. To give premature birth to (an embryo or fetus). 2. To interfere with the development of; conclude prematurely: abort plans for a corporate takeover.3. To terminate before completion: abort a trip because of illness; abort a takeoff.4. To stop the progress of (a disease, for example).
NOUN:
1. The act of terminating an operation or procedure, as with a project, missile, airplane, or space vehicle, before completion. 2.Computer Science A procedure to terminate execution of a program when an unrecoverable error or malfunction occurs.
ETYMOLOGY:
Latin abortre, frequentative of aborr, abort-, to disappear, miscarry : ab-, away; see ab–1 + orr, to appear; see er-1 in Appendix I.
-bôrt
re, frequentative of abor
r
