abortive

 
Pronunciation: /əˈbɔːtɪv/

adjective

  • 1failing to produce the intended result: the rebel officers who led the abortive coup were shot
  • 2 Medicine (of a virus infection) failing to produce symptoms.
  • dated (of an organ or organism) rudimentary; arrested in development: abortive medusae
  • 3 rare causing or resulting in abortion: abortive techniques

Derivatives

abortively

adverb

Origin:

Middle English (as a noun denoting a stillborn child or animal): via Old French from Latin abortivus, from aboriri 'miscarry' (see abort)