abort

verb (used without object)

1. to bring forth a fetus from the uterus before the fetus is viable; miscarry.
2. to develop incompletely; remain in a rudimentary or undeveloped state.
3. to fail, cease, or stop at an early or premature stage.
4. Military. to fail to accomplish a purpose or mission for any reason other than enemy action.
5. Rocketry. (of a missile) to stop before the scheduled flight is completed.

verb (used with object)

6. to cause to bring forth (a fetus) from the uterus before the fetus is viable.
7. to cause (a pregnant female) to be delivered of a nonviable fetus.
8. to cause to cease or end at an early or premature stage: We aborted our vacation when the car broke down.
9. to terminate (a missile flight, mission, etc.) before completion.
10. to put down or quell in the early stages: Troops aborted the uprising.

noun

11. a missile, rocket, etc., that has aborted.

verb

1. to undergo or cause (a woman) to undergo the termination of pregnancy before the fetus is viable
2. (tr) to cause (a fetus) to be expelled from the womb before it is viable
3. (intr) to fail to come to completion; go wrong
4. (tr) to stop the development of; cause to be abandoned
5. (intr) to give birth to a dead or nonviable fetus
6. (of a space flight, military operation, etc) to fail or terminate prematurely
7. (intr) (of an organism or part of an organism) to fail to develop into the mature form

noun

8. the premature termination or failure of (a space flight, military operation, etc)

v.

1570s, “to miscarry,” from Latin abortus, past participle of aboriri “to miscarry” (see abortive); 1610s as “to deliberately terminate” anything, but especially a pregnancy, which seems to be the literal sense. Transitive meaning “to cause a woman to miscarry” is recorded from 1933. Related: Aborted; aborting.

v.

1. To expel or cause to expel an embryo or fetus before it is viable.
2. To arrest a disease in its earliest stages.
3. To arrest in growth or development; to cause to remain rudimentary.