ectopic gestation
- noun
- /ɛkˈtɑpɪk dʒɛˈsteɪʃən/
- Specialized
- The doctor diagnosed her with an ectopic gestation after reviewing the ultrasound results.
Examples
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If untreated, an ectopic gestation can lead to serious health complications for the mother.
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Doctors diagnosed her with an ectopic gestation after her symptoms appeared.
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Advances in surgery have greatly improved outcomes for women experiencing ectopic gestation.
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An ectopic gestation can be life-threatening if not treated.
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If untreated, an ectopic gestation can lead to serious health complications for the mother.
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The doctor diagnosed her with an ectopic gestation after reviewing the ultrasound results.
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Advances in surgery have greatly improved outcomes for women experiencing ectopic gestation.
Synonyms
A pregnancy when the fertilized egg grows outside the womb, usually in a fallopian tube
A pregnancy where the fertilized egg grows in a Fallopian tube instead of the womb
A pregnancy when the baby starts to grow outside the womb, usually in a tube that leads from the womb
A pregnancy when the developing baby grows outside the womb, usually in a fallopian tube
A pregnancy in which the embryo grows outside the womb, often in a fallopian tube
A pregnancy in which the fertilised egg attaches and grows outside the uterus
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'ectopic' means 'occurring in an abnormal position' and 'gestation' means pregnancy, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer this refers to a pregnancy occurring in an abnormal place (i.e., not in the uterus). The specific clinical detail (most commonly in a fallopian tube) is specialized medical information, but the core meaning is compositionally transparent and derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Ectopic gestation breaks into ectopic, meaning 'out of place', and gestation, meaning 'pregnancy'. It creates the image of a baby starting to grow in the wrong place, so it means a 'pregnancy' that implants outside the womb, most often in a fallopian tube.