miscarriage
miscarriage Lexical Profile
miscarriage Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The spontaneous and unplanned expulsion of a fetus from the womb before it is able to survive independently.
"The support group offers counseling and resources for couples recovering from a miscarriage."
An unsuccessful outcome of something planned, or a failure of a judicial or administrative process to achieve its proper purpose (especially in the phrase 'miscarriage of justice').
"The appellate court overturned the wrongful conviction, calling it a grave miscarriage of justice."
Word Nuance & Usage
In clinical medicine, a miscarriage is often termed a 'spontaneous abortion', though in everyday speech 'miscarriage' refers exclusively to an unintended pregnancy loss, whereas 'abortion' refers to an induced termination.
• Rhymes for miscarriage
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the late 16th century, formed in English from the verb 'miscarry' and the suffix '-age', originally denoting bad management, failure of a plan, or the misdelivery of letters before specializing in its medical and legal senses.