abort
abort — noun
1. the act of stopping a planned activity, such as a rocket launch, flight, or comp
the act of stopping a planned activity, such as a rocket launch, flight, or computer process, before it reaches its finish point.
The rocket launch abort happened just two seconds before lift-off at Cape Canaveral.
abort as a countable noun in a space-flight context
A software bug caused an abort of the entire data transfer operation.
The pilot initiated an abort when the warning light flashed on the control panel.
Mission control ordered an abort after detecting a fuel leak in the main engine.
- cancellation
more general; abort implies stopping something already in progress
- termination
more formal and neutral; abort suggests a sudden or emergency stop
- completion
the successful reaching of a planned end point
- launch
the beginning of a process, especially a rocket flight
文法句型
abort + of + noun phrase
常見錯誤
abort — verb
1. to stop a planned activity before it is finished, especially because continuing
to stop a planned activity before it is finished, especially because continuing would be dangerous or pointless.
The research team decided to abort the experiment when the chemical reaction became unstable.
abort + direct object (the experiment)
Satoshi aborted the software installation after noticing a compatibility warning on his screen.
The airline pilot aborted the take-off because a ground vehicle crossed the active runway.
If the engine fails during the pre-launch test, the system will abort the launch automatically.
Olga and her colleagues aborted their hiking trip when a severe storm moved into the area.
文法句型
abort + noun phrase
用法筆記
This is the most common sense of 'abort'. The subject is usually a person, team, or automated system, and the object is a process, mission, or operation.
常見錯誤
2. to use a medical operation to remove a developing fetus from the womb so that th
to use a medical operation to remove a developing fetus from the womb so that the pregnancy stops and a baby is not born.
The patient decided to abort the pregnancy after discussing her options with the doctor.
transitive use: abort + the pregnancy
Ines chose to abort because the pregnancy posed serious risks to her own health.
The clinic offers free counseling for women who are considering whether to abort.
In some countries, strict laws make it very difficult for women to abort a pregnancy safely.
Amara's doctor explained the medical options available to those who wish to abort.
- terminate
more clinical and formal; 'terminate a pregnancy' is common in medical writing
- carry to term
to continue a pregnancy until the baby is born
文法句型
abort + noun phrase (the pregnancy / a baby)
abort (no object)
用法筆記
Distinguish from abort/3. This sense refers to a deliberate medical procedure, while abort/3 describes an unintentional miscarriage. In everyday speech, 'have an abortion' is more common than 'abort a pregnancy'.
常見錯誤
3. to lose an unborn baby naturally because the pregnancy ends too early for the ba
to lose an unborn baby naturally because the pregnancy ends too early for the baby to survive, without any medical intervention.
The pregnancy aborted naturally at ten weeks, before Linnea even knew she was pregnant.
subject = the pregnancy; adverb 'naturally' clarifies unintentional sense
The veterinarian explained that the dog had aborted her litter due to a bacterial infection.
veterinary context; abort + possessive
After the pregnancy aborted unexpectedly, Mika received support from family and close friends.
Sadly, the farmer's mare aborted her foal during the unusually harsh winter.
- miscarry
the everyday word for this meaning; 'abort' is more clinical
文法句型
abort (no object)
a pregnancy aborts
用法筆記
This sense is less common in everyday human conversation — most English speakers say 'she had a miscarriage' or 'she miscarried' instead. 'Abort' in this sense appears more often in medical records or veterinary writing.
4. to stop growing at an early stage and remain in a simple, undeveloped form inste
to stop growing at an early stage and remain in a simple, undeveloped form instead of reaching a fully mature state.
The plant's flowers aborted before opening because of a sudden drop in temperature.
botany context; subject = plant parts
In some animal species, the smaller twin embryo will abort naturally early in the development process.
The fruit on the old cherry tree aborted after weeks of drought without any rain.
Without enough sunlight, the young buds on the plant abort and drop to the ground.
- fail to mature
more explanatory; 'abort' is the concise technical term
- arrest in development
more formal, used in embryology and botany
- mature
to reach full development
- develop fully
the opposite of stopping at an early stage
文法句型
abort (no object)
something aborts