foetus

See also: Fötus and fœtus

English

A foetus at 8 weeks from conception.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfiːtəs/

Noun

foetus (plural foetuses or foeti)

1. (chiefly British) Alternative spelling of fetus
   • 1815, Nathaniel Highmore, Case of a Foetus Found in the Abdomen of a Young Man:

     Amongst professional men, who have examined this singular foetus, a variety of opinions and conjectures have been formed, some of which it maybe well to notice.

   • 1990, James M. Tanner, Foetus Into Man: Physical Growth from Conception to Maturity, →ISBN, page 40:

     During the last 10 weeks in utero the foetus stores very considerable amounts of energy in the form of fat.

   • 2006, Denise Walker, Reproduction, Breathing and Health, →ISBN, page 23:

     The foetus gains all its food and oxygen from the mother during pregnancy.

Usage notes

The form fetus is preferred in North America and in the scientific community, whereas foetus is still commonly used in Commonwealth nations.

Derived terms

• foetal

Translations

fetus — see fetus

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “foetus”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

• fouets

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Dutch

Etymology

From Latin fētus

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈføːtʏs/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: foe‧tus

Noun

foetus n or m (plural foetussen, diminutive foetusje n)

1. fetus

Derived terms

• feut

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Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈfoe̯.tus/, [ˈfoe̯t̪ʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈfe.tus/, [ˈfɛːt̪us]

Adjective

foetus (feminine foeta, neuter foetum); first/second-declension adjective

1. Alternative form of fētus

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	foetus	foeta	foetum		foetī	foetae	foeta
Genitive	foetī	foetae	foetī		foetōrum	foetārum	foetōrum
Dative	foetō		foetō		foetīs
Accusative	foetum	foetam	foetum		foetōs	foetās	foeta
Ablative	foetō	foetā	foetō		foetīs
Vocative	foete	foeta	foetum		foetī	foetae	foeta

Noun

foetus m (genitive foetūs); fourth declension

1. Alternative form of fētus

Declension

Fourth-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	foetus	foetūs
Genitive	foetūs	foetuum
Dative	foetuī	foetibus
Accusative	foetum	foetūs
Ablative	foetū	foetibus
Vocative	foetus	foetūs

References

• “foetus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• foetus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.