foetus

foetus, fetus

noun feh-TOOS Rare

Origin: Latin fetus (offspring)

Usage Note

Foetus retains the Latin-derived spelling with 'oe' (often written as the ligature fœtus) in standard French. The final 's' is pronounced. It refers to the unborn mammal in the later stages of development, after the embryonic phase. Related terms include embryon (embryo, the earlier stage) and grossesse (pregnancy).

Examples

"Le foetus se développe rapidement au deuxième trimestre."

Natural Translation

The fetus develops rapidly in the second trimester.

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