Aborticide
/ˌæbɔːrˈtɪs.aɪd/noun
The killing of an unborn child; also, the act of causing an abortion.
Did you know?Aborticide is a rare learned formation built from Latin roots, and the -cide ending is the same deadly suffix behind words like homicide and pesticide—language built to name acts of killing.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
abortus
“A miscarriage or premature birth; literally, a “carried away” birth from the verb abortī, “to be born prematurely” or “to miscarry.””
Latin
Latin
-cidium / -cida
“A killing or killer, from caedere, “to cut down, strike, kill.””
19th Century
English
aborticide
“A coined learned term meaning the killing of an unborn child or the act of producing an abortion.”
Modern English
English
aborticide
“A rare formal word for abortion-related killing, mostly found in historical, legal, or polemical contexts.”