preterm

P3R1E1T1E1R1M3

adjective

Of a premature birth or baby.

OriginEnglish term ← Middle English terme ← Old French terme →
Less commonScrabble 11
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Meanings

adjectivepreterm (not comparable)
  1. not comparableOf a premature birth or baby.
nounpreterm (plural preterms)

plural preterms

  1. A premature birth or baby.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*préh₂i?
  4. Proto-Italic*prai
  5. Proto-Italic*prai-
  6. Latinprae-
  7. Middle Englishpre-
  8. Englishpre-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*terh₂-?
  10. Proto-Indo-European*ter-?
  11. Proto-Indo-European*térmn̥
  12. Proto-Italic*termn̥
  13. Proto-Italic*term(e)nos
  14. Latinterminus
  15. Old Frenchterme
  16. Middle Englishterme
  17. Englishterm
  18. Englishpreterm

From pre- + term.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

TremperRempert
Cite this entry
APA

preterm. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preterm

MLA

“preterm.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preterm. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “preterm,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preterm.

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