Part 20

Ab`o*rig"i*nal (&?;), a. [See Aborigines.]

1. First; original; indigenous; primitive; native; as, the aboriginal tribes of America. "Mantled o'er with aboriginal turf." Wordsworth.

2. Of or pertaining to aborigines; as, a Hindoo of aboriginal blood.

Ab`o*rig"i*nal, n. 1. An original inhabitant of any land; one of the aborigines.

2. An animal or a plant native to the region.

It may well be doubted whether this frog is an aboriginal of these islands. Darwin.

Ab`o*rig`i*nal"i*ty (&?;), n. The quality of being aboriginal. Westm. Rev.

Ab`o*rig"i*nal*ly (&?;), adv. Primarily.

Ab`o*rig"i*nes (-rj"*nz), n. pl. [L. Aborigines; ab + origo, especially the first inhabitants of Latium, those who originally (ab origine) inhabited Latium or Italy. See Origin.] 1. The earliest known inhabitants of a country; native races.

2. The original fauna and flora of a geographical area

A*borse"ment (*bôrs"ment), n. Abortment; abortion. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

A*bor"sive (*bôr"sv), a. Abortive. [Obs.] Fuller.

A*bort" (*bôrt"), v. i. [L. abortare, fr. abortus, p. p. of aboriri; ab + oriri to rise, to be born. See Orient.]

1. To miscarry; to bring forth young prematurely.

2. (Biol.) To become checked in normal development, so as either to remain rudimentary or shrink away wholly; to become sterile.

A*bort", n. [L. abortus, fr. aboriri.] 1. An untimely birth. [Obs.] Sir H. Wotton.

2. An aborted offspring. [Obs.] Holland.

A*bort"ed, a. 1. Brought forth prematurely.

2. (Biol.) Rendered abortive or sterile; undeveloped; checked in normal development at a very early stage; as, spines are aborted branches.

The eyes of the cirripeds are more or less aborted in their mature state. Owen.

A*bor"ti*cide (*bôr"t*sd), n. [L. abortus + caedere to kill. See Abort.] (Med.) The act of destroying a fetus in the womb; feticide.

A*bor`ti*fa"cient (*bôr`t*f"shent), a. [L. abortus (see Abort, v.) + faciens, p. pr. of facere to make.] Producing miscarriage. -- n. A drug or an agent that causes premature delivery.

A*bor"tion (*bôr"shn), n. [L. abortio, fr. aboriri. See Abort.] 1. The act of giving premature birth; particularly, the expulsion of the human fetus prematurely, or before it is capable of sustaining life; miscarriage.

It is sometimes used for the offense of procuring a premature delivery, but strictly the early delivery is the abortion, "causing or procuring abortion" is the full name of the offense. Abbott.

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2. The immature product of an untimely birth.

3. (Biol.) Arrest of development of any organ, so that it remains an imperfect formation or is absorbed.

4. Any fruit or produce that does not come to maturity, or anything which in its progress, before it is matured or perfect; a complete failure; as, his attempt proved an abortion.