Abortifacient

Definitions: Abortifacient

Abortifacient

Adjective

1. Causing abortion.

Noun

1. A drug (or other chemical agent) that causes abortion.

Synonyms: Abortifacient

Synonyms: aborticide (n), abortion-inducing drug (n). (additional references)

Note: Wikipedia does not provide medical advice. If you have a medical problem, you should seek expert help.

An abortifacient is a substance that induces miscarriage or abortion.

The use of various herbs as abortifacients is a practice that predates history. Since humans of all cultures began using herbs as medicine, they have observed which herbs could lead to miscarriage and either shunned or embraced them as needs dictated. As the Catholic Church gained control of European society, woman who dispensed abortifacient herbs found themselves classified as witches and prosecuted (see witchhunt).

The ancient Greek colony of Cyrene at one time had an economy based almost entirely on the production and export of silphium, a powerful abortificient in the parsley family. Silphium figured so prominently in the wealth of Cyrene that the plant appeared on the obverse and reverse of coins minted there. Silphium, which was native only to that part of Libya, was overharvested by the Greeks and was effectively driven to extinction.

Many herbs sold "over the counter" today, including Queen Anne's lace, black cohosh, pennyroyal, and mugwort, are themselves abortifacients. Typically the labelling will contraindicate use by pregnant women, but will not contain an explanation for this contraindication. Dosage recommendations for abortificient use can be found many places on the Internet.

King's American Dispensatory of 1898 recommended a mixture of brewers yeast and pennyroyal tea as "a safe and effective abortifacient".

Modern prescription drugs used as abortifacients today are controversial: the most prominent of these is RU-486. The methods of operation of these drugs is better understood than that of traditional herbal remedies, and where legal and socially acceptable they may be prescribed by a doctor.

External Link

SisterZeus on Pregnancy Termination

Crosswords: Abortifacient

Specialty definitions using "abortifacient": Abortifacient Agents, Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal, Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal, ANTIECBOLIC ♦ Carboprost ♦ Dinoprost ♦ Trichosanthin. (references)

"Abortifacient" is generally used as an adjective (general or positive) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Abortifacient" is used about 6 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)

Parts of Speech	Percent	Usage per 100 Million Words	Rank in English
Adjective (general or positive)	100%	6	143,867

Expression using "abortifacient": Abortifacient Agents. Additional references.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.

Language		Translations for "abortifacient"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Chinese		促� �胎. (various references)

Danish		abortivum (abortive), abortfremkaldende middel, abortfremkaldende medikament, pellentium (abortive). (various references)

Dutch		abortivum (abortive), abortifacuum (abortive), abortifaciens (abortive), abortief (abortive), vruchtafdrijvend middel. (various references)

Finnish		aborttilääke. (various references)

French		abortif (abortive), substance abortive (abortive), médicament abortif. (various references)

German		Amploticum (abortive), Ambloticum (abortive), Abtreibungsmittel (abortive), Abtreibemittel (abortive), Abortizid (abortive), abortivus, Abortivum:Abortifaziens (abortive), Abortivmittel (abortive), abortiv (abortive), Abortifikans (abortive), Pellentium (abortive), Ektrotikum (abortive), Ekbolikum (abortive). (various references)

Greek		εκτρωτικός (abortive), αμβλωτικός (abortive). (various references)

Italian		abortivo (abortional, abortive). (various references)

Pig Latin		abortifacientay.(various references)

Portuguese		abortivo (abortive). (various references)

Russian		средство (aborticide, agent, anorectic, cure, engine, instrument, mean, means, medium, option, parturifacient, remedy), вызывающее аборт.....вызывающий аборт (aborticide). (various references)

Spanish		abortivo, que provoca aborto, abortivo (abortive), medicamentos abortivos. (various references)

Swedish		abortivmedel. (various references)

Turkish		abortif, düşük ilacı. (various references)

Vietnamese		thuốc phá thai, phá thai, l� m sẩy thai. (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

Language	Period	Translations
Latin	500 BCE-Modern	abortivo, abortivum. (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Derivations
	Words beginning with "abortifacient": abortifacients. (additional references)
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

# of Phoneme Matches	Pronunciation	Word(s) rhyming with "abortifacient" (pronounced ubô'rtufā"shunt)
5	-ā" sh u n t	impatient, patient.
4	-sh u n t	beneficent, coefficient, deficient, efficient, inefficient, inpatient, insufficient, omniscient, outpatient, proficient, quotient, sufficient.
3	-u n t	abandonment, abatement, aberrant, abhorrent, absent, absorbent, abstinent, abundant, accelerant, accident, accompaniment, accomplishment, accountant, accouterment, achievement, acknowledgement, acknowledgment, adamant, adherent, adjacent, adjournment, adjustment, adjutant, adolescent, adornment, advancement, advertisement, advisement, afferent, affiant, affluent, agent, aggrandizement, agreement, ailment, alignment, allotment, amazement, ambient, ambivalent, amendment, amusement, ancient, announcement, annulment, antecedent, antidepressant, antigovernment, antioxidant, apartment, apparent, appeasement, applicant, appointment, apportionment, ardent, argent, argument, armament, arraignment, arrangement, arrant, arrogant, ascendant, aspirant, assailant, assessment, assignment, assistant, assortment, astonishment, astringent, atonement, attachment, attainment, attendant, banishment, basement, battlement, belligerent, bemusement, benevolent, bereavement, betterment, bewilderment, blandishment, blatant, bombardment, brilliant, buoyant, celebrant, claimant, clairvoyant, Clement, client, cogent, cognizant, coherent, coincident, combatant, commandment, commencement, commitment, compartment, competent, complacent, complainant, complaisant, complement, compliant, component, comportment, concealment, concomitant, concurrent, condiment, confident, confinement, confluent, consequent, consignment, consistent, consonant, constant, constituent, consultant, containment, contaminant, contentment, contestant, continent, contingent, convalescent, convenient, convent, convergent, conversant, coolant, copayment, corespondent, cormorant, correspondent, Courant, covenant, Crescent, crosscurrent, current, curtailment, debarment, debasement, decadent, decedent, decent, declarant, decongestant, defendant, deferment, defiant, defoliant, delinquent, deodorant, department, dependent, deployment, deportment, depressant, derailment, descendant, descendent, despondent, detachment, detergent, determent, determinant, deterrent, detriment, development, deviant, different, diligent, diminishment, disagreement, disappointment, disarmament, disbarment, disbursement, discernment, discordant, discouragement, disenchantment, disenfranchisement, disengagement, disestablishment, disgruntlement, disillusionment, disinfectant, disinvestment, dismantlement, dismemberment, disobedient, dispersant, displacement, dissident, dissonant, distant, divalent, divergent, divestment, docent, dominant, dormant, easement, ebullient, efferent, effervescent, effluent, elegant, element, elephant, eloquent, embankment, embarrassment, embayment, embellishment, embezzlement, embodiment, emergent, emigrant, eminent, emplacement, employment, empowerment, enactment, encampment, enchantment, encirclement, encouragement, encroachment, endangerment, endearment, endorsement, endowment, enforcement, engagement, enhancement, enjoyment, enlargement, enlightenment, enlistment, enrichment, enrollment, enslavement, entanglement, entertainment, enticement, entitlement, entombment, entrant, entrapment, entrenchment, environment, equipment, equivalent, errant, escapement, escarpment, esculent, establishment, estrangement, evanescent, evident, excellent, excitement, excrement, exigent, existent, exorbitant, expectant, expectorant, expedient, experiment, exponent, extant, extinguishment, extravagant, exuberant, exultant, Fabricant, fervent, figment, filament, flagrant, flamboyant, flatulent, flippant, fluent, fluorescent, formant, fragment, fragrant, fraudulent, frequent, fulfillment, gallant, garment, garnishment, giant, government, grandiloquent, grandparent, harassment, hesitant, hydrant, ignorant, immanent, immigrant, imminent, impairment, impeachment, impediment, impertinent, implement, important, impotent, impoundment, impoverishment, impressment, imprisonment, improvement, imprudent, inadvertent, incandescent, incessant, incident, incipient, incitement, inclement, incoherent, incompetent, inconsistent, incontinent, inconvenient, increment, incumbent, indecent, independent, indictment, indifferent, indigent, indignant, indolent, inducement, indulgent, infant, informant, infotainment, infrequent, infringement, ingredient, inhabitant, inhalant, inherent, innocent, insignificant, insistent, insolent, insolvent, installment, instant, instrument, insurgent, integument, intelligent, intercurrent, interdependent, intermittent, internment, intersegment, intolerant, intransigent, invariant, investment, involvement, iridescent, irrelevant, irreverent, irritant, itinerant, jubilant, judgement, judgment, latent, leant, lenient, lieutenant, ligament, litigant, lubricant, lucent, luminescent, luxuriant, magnificent, malevolent, malignant, maltreatment, management, measurement, merchant, micromanagement, migrant, militant, miscreant, misgovernment, misjudgment, mismanagement, misstatement, mistreatment, moment, monovalent, monument, mordant, movement, mutant, nascent, negligent, noncombatant, nonexistent, nongovernment, nonmanagement, nonpayment, nonresident, nonviolent, nourishment, nutrient, obedient, observant, obsolescent, occupant, odorant, ointment, omnipotent, omnipresent, operant, opponent, opulent, ornament, orpiment, outplacement, overconfident, overpayment, overstatement, oxidant, pageant, parchment, parent, parliament, participant, patent, pavement, payment, peasant, penchant, pendant, penitent, pennant, percipient, permanent, persistent, pertinent, petulant, pheasant, pigment, piquant, placement, pleasant, pliant, poignant, pollutant, postponement, postretirement, potent, preadolescent, precedent, predicament, predominant, preeminent, pregnant, prejudgment, prepayment, prescient, present, presentment, prevalent, procurement, prominent, pronouncement, propellant, proponent, protestant, provident, prudent, prurient, pungent, punishment, pursuant, puzzlement, quadrant, quiescent, radiant, rampant, readjustment, reagent, realignment, reappointment, reapportionment, rearmament, rearrangement, reassessment, reassignment, recalcitrant, recent, recipient, recombinant, recruitment, recurrent, redeployment, redevelopment, redundant, reemployment, reenactment, refinement, refreshment, refrigerant, refurbishment, Regent, regiment, registrant, reimbursement, reinforcement, reinstatement, reinvestment, relevant, reliant, reluctant, reminiscent, remnant, repayment, repellent, repentant, replacement, replenishment, repugnant, requirement, resentment, resettlement, resident, resilient, resistant, resonant, resplendent, respondent, restatement, resultant, resurgent, retardant, reticent, retirement, retrenchment, reverent, rodent, rudiment, ruminant, sacrament, salient, seafront, sealant, sediment, segment, semipermanent, sentiment, Sequent, sergeant, serpent, servant, settlement, shipment, significant, silent, solvent, somnolent, stagnant, statement, stimulant, strident, stringent, student, subcontinent, subsequent, subservient, succulent, supergiant, superintendent, supplement, supplicant, suppressant, surfactant, talent, tangent, temperament, tenant, tenement, testament, tetravalent, tolerant, torrent, tournament, transcendent, transient, translucent, transparent, treatment, trenchant, trident, triumphant, truant, truculent, tumescent, turbulent, tyrant, undercurrent, underdevelopment, underemployment, undergarment, underpayment, understatement, unemployment, unimportant, unpleasant, unrepentant, urgent, vacant, vagrant, valiant, variant, vehement, verdant, vibrant, vigilant, violent, virulent, warrant, wonderment.
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "a-a-b-c-e-f-i-i-n-o-r-t-t"
	-2 letters: fabrication, fractionate, ratiocinate.
	-3 letters: abreaction, antierotic, recitation, trabeation.
	-4 letters: aerobatic, anaerobic, cafetoria, carbonate, carnotite, fabricant, fabricate, fornicate, intricate, iteration, tricotine.
	-5 letters: abattoir, actiniae, aeration, anoretic, antiriot, artefact, artifact, artifice, attainer, bacteria, bacterin, baritone, beatific, betatron, biforate, boniface, boracite, botanica, brainiac, brattice, cabretta, carabine, carinate, citation, confetti, contrite, craniate, creation, fetation, fibrotic, fireboat, fraction, friction, infector, interact, notifier, obtainer, rabietic, raincoat, reactant, reaction, reattain, reobtain, taborine, taconite, traction, trifecta.
	Words containing the letters "a-a-b-c-e-f-i-i-n-o-r-t-t"
	+1 letter: abortifacients.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.