feticide

F4E1T1I1C3I1D2E1
/ˈfiːtɪsaɪd/

noun

The killing of a fetus or embryo; an induced abortion.

Similar
aborticide
OriginMiddle French -cide ← Latin -cīda →
First used 19th centuryScrabble 14
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Meanings

nounfeticide (countable and uncountable, plural feticides)

plural feticides · alternative fetucide · alternative foeticide

  1. countableuncountableThe killing of a fetus or embryo; an induced abortion.First known use 19th century

    Notwithstanding the earnest opposition of writers and lecturers and preachers and legislators, the practice of feticide appears to be on the increase.

    1878, H. Gibbons, "On Feticide" in Transactions of the Session of the Medical Society of the State of California vol. 8; J. Anthony & Co., Printers; page 209
    1 more example

    Zimra, then, takes an unequivocal stance; favoring Rashi's view over that of Maimonides, he offers little comfort for the rodef approach, holding instead that feticide cannot be regarded as murder becaue the fetus is not a nefesh.

    2002, Daniel Schiff, Abortion in Judaism, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 68
  2. countableuncountableOne who kills a fetus.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe act of destroying a fetus

Similar
aborticide
Broader
induced abortion
Also see
aborticideabortion

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latin-cīda“cutter, killer”
  2. Middle French-cide
  3. Englishfeticide

From fetus + -cide or fetus + -icide, from Middle French -cide, from Latin -cīda (“cutter, killer”) and its derivation -cīdium (“killing”), from -cīd (combining form of caedō (“cut, kill”)) + -a (“-er”, forming agent nouns).

More words from Middle French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French fœticide
  • fœticidekilling of a fetus
German Fetozid
  • Fetozidkilling of a fetus
Hindi भ्रूणहत्या
  • भ्रूणहत्या (bhrūṇhatyā)killing of a fetus
Icelandic fósturdráp
  • fósturdrápkilling of a fetus
Japanese 堕胎
  • 堕胎 (datai)killing of a fetus
Norwegian Bokmål fosterdrap
  • fosterdrapkilling of a fetus
Spanish feticidio
  • feticidiokilling of a fetus
Cite this entry
APA

feticide. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feticide

MLA

“feticide.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feticide. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “feticide,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feticide.

Source: feticide on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.