4 definitions found

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

abortive

adjective: failing to accomplish an intended result; "an abortive revolt"; "a stillborn plot to assassinate the President" [syn: {stillborn}, {unsuccessful}]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Abortive \A*bor"tive\, adjective [L. abortivus, fr. aboriri. See {Abort}, v.]

1. Produced by abortion; born prematurely; as, an abortive child. [R.]

2. Made from the skin of a still-born animal; as, abortive vellum. [Obs.]

3. Rendering fruitless or ineffectual. [Obs.] ''Plunged in that abortive gulf.'' --Milton.

4. Coming to naught; failing in its effect; miscarrying; fruitless; unsuccessful; as, an abortive attempt. ''An abortive enterprise.'' --Prescott.

5. (Biol.) Imperfectly formed or developed; rudimentary; sterile; as, an abortive organ, stamen, ovule, etc.

6. (Med.) (a) Causing abortion; as, abortive medicines. --Parr. (b) Cutting short; as, abortive treatment of typhoid fever.

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Abortive \A*bor"tive\, noun

1. That which is born or brought forth prematurely; an abortion. [Obs.] --Shak.

2. A fruitless effort or issue. [Obs.]

3. A medicine to which is attributed the property of causing abortion; -- also called an {abortifacient}. --Dunglison. [1913 Webster +PJC]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

37 Moby Thesaurus words for "abortive": barren, bootless, failed, failing, fruitless, futile, gainless, immature, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, lame, manque, miscarried, miscarrying, nonremunerative, of no effect, otiose, profitless, rewardless, sterile, stickit, stillborn, successless, unavailable, unavailing, unformed, unfortunate, unmatured, unproductive, unprofitable, unremunerative, unrewarding, unripe, unsuccessful, useless, vain

  Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM.