English · Word Candidate

fetus

/ˈfiːtəs/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: fetuses · feti · fetii

Sense 1

Meaning · English

An unborn or unhatched vertebrate showing signs of the mature animal.

NounRegister: US

Examples

Several feti were removed from every rats' uterus, stripped of their membranes and allowed to lie in the peritoneal cavity connected to the placenta by the umbilical cord and with the placenta still attached to the uterine wall.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

A human embryo after the eighth week of gestation.

NounRegister: US

Examples

The sequence is: molecules in reproductive systems, then gametes, zygotes, morulas, blastocysts, and then fetuses.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “fetus” mean?

An unborn or unhatched vertebrate showing signs of the mature animal.

Is “fetus” formal or informal?

fetus is generally US.

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