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Glite Dictionary
abruptio placentae

abruptio placentae

1 8.8
The placenta separates early from the womb wall, causing heavy bleeding that can harm mother and baby
  • noun
  • /əˈbrʌp.ti.oʊ pləˈsɛn.teɪ/
  • Specialized
: desprendimiento de placenta
  • After the ultrasound, the nurse informed her that the signs were pointing to abruptio placentae and urged her to seek immediate care.

Examples

  • During the prenatal check-up, the physician discussed the risks associated with abruptio placentae and the importance of monitoring any symptoms.

  • Could be abruptio placentae.

    The Paper (1994)

  • The doctor explained that she was experiencing abruptio placentae, which can be dangerous for both the mother and the baby.

Surface Forms

abruptio placentae singular
abruptio placentæ plural
abruptio placentæ singular

Morphology

abruptio + placentae

The phrase is a literal medical formation: 'abruptio' (abruption/separation) + 'placentae' (placenta) yields the meaning 'separation of the placenta'. Thus a learner who knows those constituents can directly derive the clinical meaning, although the Latin/technical forms may be unfamiliar to many B1 learners without medical exposure.

Etymology

The medical name abruptio placentae comes from Latin: abruptio means 'breaking away' and placentae means 'placenta', the organ that feeds the baby. So it pictures the placenta suddenly pulling away from the womb wall, which is why the term means a dangerous early separation that can cause bleeding.