still birth

Definition

1. Noun:
   • The birth of a dead fetus: "still birth" refers to the delivery of a fetus that has died in the womb after a certain stage of pregnancy (typically after 20 weeks of gestation). It is distinct from miscarriage, which occurs earlier.
   • A non-viable outcome: The term can also describe the event or instance in which a baby is born without any signs of life.

Usage Examples

• (An instance where a dead fetus was delivered.)
• (The event of losing the baby before or during delivery.)

Advanced Usage

• "to experience a still birth": to go through the event of delivering a dead fetus.

  • She experienced a still birth at seven months of pregnancy. (She gave birth to a baby that had already died in the womb.)

• "still birth rate": a statistical measure indicating the number of still births per a certain number of total births.

  • The still birth rate in that region has decreased due to better prenatal care. (The frequency of still births relative to all births.)

Variants and Related Words

• Stillborn (adj): born dead; describing a fetus that is delivered dead.

  • The stillborn baby was buried in a small ceremony. (The baby was delivered without life.)

• Stillbirth (n): a single word variant often used interchangeably with "still birth," though "stillbirth" is more common in medical contexts.

  • The doctor explained the causes of stillbirth. (The event of a dead fetus being born.)

Synonyms

• Fetal death: the death of a fetus before or during delivery.
• Intrauterine fetal demise: a medical term for the death of a fetus in the uterus.

Related Idioms