- 1nC1/əˈbɔːrʃən/ · /əˈbɔːʃən/墮胎
A pregnancy ended on purpose by a medical operation, so that no baby is born.
示範例句 · Example
The doctor explained that an abortion is a medical operation done in a hospital or clinic.
逐字醫生解釋，abortion（墮胎）是一種在醫院或診所進行的醫療手術。
「abortion」是一個醫學和法律用語，指「用手術結束懷孕、讓寶寶不會出生」。它常出現在新聞、法律、健康的討論裡（an abortion 指一次手術；against abortion 則把它當成一個概念）。這是牽涉不同立場的題目，講的時候通常保持中立、只描述事情。
常見搭配
have an abortion
進行墮胎
to end a pregnancy through this operation
The decision to have an abortion is a private and personal one.
abortion law
墮胎法律
the rules that say when this operation is allowed
Abortion laws are different from country to country.
abortion debate
墮胎辯論
the public argument about whether it should be allowed
Reporters try to stay fair when they cover the abortion debate.
anti-abortion
反對墮胎的
against allowing this operation
Anti-abortion groups and pro-choice groups both joined the discussion.
legal abortion
合法的墮胎
this operation when the law allows it
In some countries a legal abortion can only be done early in a pregnancy.
意思相近
core核心畫面
You can picture abortion as a medical operation that stops a pregnancy on purpose, so that a baby is not born. The word itself carries that idea: something that was on its way to being born is turned away from it.
From the word’s history
From Latin abortionem, a noun from aboriri 'to miscarry, fail, pass away', which is ab- 'away from, amiss' + oriri 'to rise, come into being, be born'. So the root literally points at 'away from being born' — the core sense of a pregnancy that does not reach birth.
來自拉丁文 abortionem，源自動詞 aboriri（流產、失敗、消逝）；這個動詞由 ab-（離開、偏離）＋ oriri（升起、開始存在、出生）組成。所以字根字面上就是「離開出生」——正對應核心意思：一個沒有走到出生的懷孕。
etymonline.com/word/abortion (ab- + oriri 'be born')
原始詞典資料7 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
abortionnoun/əˈbɔɹ.ʃn̩/
- 1
medicinesciencesThe expulsion from the womb of a foetus or embryo before it is fully developed, with loss of the foetus.
- Swines-bread, so used, doth not onely speed / A tardy labour; but (without great heed) / If over it a Child-great Woman stride, / Instant abortion often doth betide.
- At any time after impregnation, abortion may take place: it is one of the most common complaints of pregnancy, whence it is a matter of no small consequence that every practitioner should well understand it.
- 2
medicinesciencesThe expulsion from the womb of a foetus or embryo before it is fully developed, with loss of the foetus.
- Mary decided to have an abortion because she was too young to raise a baby.
- It is impossible for an abortion clinic to have a waiting list of more than nine months.
- 3
archaicAn aborted foetus; an abortus.
- ‘It seems too hairy for an abortion, and too small for a mature birth.’
- The Fascist poem, one may fear, will be a horrid little abortion such as one sees in a glass jar in the museum of some county town.
- 4
A misshapen person or thing; a monstrosity.
- Insomuch that I do honestly believe, there can be no place in the world, where such intolerable abortions, begotten of the sculptor’s chisel, are to be found in such profusion, as in Rome.
- His voice was the most pitiable abortion of a voice I had ever heard.
- 5
Failure or abandonment of a project, promise, goal etc.
- The returning good sense of our country threatens abortion to their hopes, & they believe that any portion of power confided to me, will be exerted in opposition to their schemes.
- The transfer or loss of the project manager before the project is completed will result in lost continuity and delay or the abortion of the project and/or the report.
- 6
biologynatural-sciencesArrest of development of any organ, so that it remains an imperfect formation or is absorbed.
- 7
The cessation of an illness or disease at a very early stage.
摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。