The Standard Rules for Forming the Plurals
Type | Example of Type | Forming the Plural | Plural |
Most Nouns | lamp scythe | add s | lamps scythes |
Noun Ending s, sh, ch, x or z | fetus dress | add es | fetuses dresses |
Nouns ending [consonant] o | hero zero tomato | add either s or es (There are no rules f ... | heroes zeros tomatoes |
Nouns ending [vowel] o | patio ratio | add s | patios ratios |
Is the plural form of fetus fetuses or FETI?
The word fetus (plural fetuses or feti) is related to the Latin fētus (“offspring”, “bringing forth”, “hatching of young”) and the Greek “φυτώ” to plant. Is it fetus or fetus's? The plural of fetus is fetuses or, less commonly, feti.
What holds the fetus in place?
When The Woman Is Pregnant What Helps To Hold The Baby In Place? Fertilized egg implants in the uterus with the help of chorion and later on placenta help the fetus to stay in the uterus. Placenta is supported by hormones. thanked the writer.
Is my unborn child a fetus or a baby?
•• The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, never once uses the term “fetus” for the unborn child. It uses the word “baby” or “child.” In discussions of biblical topics, I believe it is very important to use the biblical terminology. Let's see some more examples. Luke 1:41, 44 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb... [44] "As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy."
What does it mean when a fetus is viable?
When the term viability is used for describing a developing baby, or a fetus, it refers to the pregnancy time when the actual baby could be born and also have a reasonable survival chance. For many hospitals in the U.S., the viability age is around 6 months of pregnancy.
Why is the plural of fetus not feti?
Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Fetus? Confusion arises over the plural of fetus because its original plural form (feti) derives from Latin and native English speakers are drawn to fetuses, which adheres to the standard ruling for forming plurals. Both fetuses and feti are acceptable.
What is correct foetus or fetus?
Indeed the spelling fetus is the etymologically correct one as it derives from the Latin term 'fetus' meaning "offspring". The foetus usage is derived from the erroneous belief that the spelling fetus was an Americanism for which an original 'o' had been dropped.
Is foetus a real word?
A foetus is an unborn animal or human being in its later stages of development.
What is the singular of fetus?
The declension of the noun Fetus is in singular genitive Fetus(ses) and in the plural nominative Fetusse/Feten. The noun Fetus is declined with the declension endings -/ses/us/en.
Is foetus a British word?
In technical usage fetus is now the standard spelling throughout the English-speaking world, but foetus is still found in British English outside technical contexts.
Is it fetal or foetal in Australia?
In general, the medical community only permits the spelling fetus (preferred by the British Medical Journal, for example), but the spelling foetus persists in general use, especially in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, etc.
What does the term foetus means?
an unborn babyListen to pronunciation. (FEE-tus) In humans, an unborn baby that develops and grows inside the uterus (womb). The fetal period begins 8 weeks after fertilization of an egg by a sperm and ends at the time of birth.
Is a fetus a child?
Baby is defined as: A very young child; an infant. An unborn child; a fetus. The youngest member of a family or group.
How do you use fetus in a sentence?
(1) A routine scan revealed abnormalities in the fetus. (2) No one knows why a fetus is not automatically rejected by the mother's immune system. (3) Suspended in amniotic fluid, the fetus is also weightless. (4) IGF2R helps stop the fetus from overgrowing the womb.
What is the English spelling of foetus?
The spelling fetus is the preferred spelling in the medical world, regardless of location. It is used by virtually all biomedical journals. Therefore it is also the preferred spelling on Radiopaedia and we never use the spelling foetus.
What is the plural of octopus?
Octopuses ✅ “Octopuses” gives the word an English ending to match its adoption as an English word. Generally, when a noun enters into English, it is pluralized as an English word rather than in its original form. Octopuses may sound peculiar to some, but this is the preferred plural.
What is the meaning of number of fetuses?
The number of Fetuses (unborn babies) counted within a particular Maternity Episode.
What is a fetus?
Definition of fetus. : an unborn or unhatched vertebrate especially after attaining the basic structural plan of its kind specifically : a developing human from usually two months after conception to birth — compare embryo sense 1a.
How long can a fetus survive outside the womb?
Casey, the court allowed states to ban most abortions at viability, the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb – roughly 24 weeks.
What is the plural of "fetus"?
The plural of fetus is fetuses or, less commonly, feti . Female fetuses tend to weigh less than males, at full term. The detection of multiple feti can be made by using ultrasound technology. The noun fetus has a Latin root, which is the derivation of the plural feti.
Is "fetus" plural or singular?
Confusion arises over the plural of fetus because its original plural form ( feti) derives from Latin and native English speakers are drawn to fetuses, which adheres to the standard ruling for forming plurals. Both fetuses and feti are acceptable. Of note, fetuses is by far the more common plural. ( See the evidence in Google's Ngram Viewer .)
What is the meaning of the word "fetus"?
Etymology. The word fetus (plural fetuses or feti) is related to the Latin fētus ("offspring", "bringing forth", "hatching of young") and the Greek "φυτώ" to plant. The predominant British, Irish, and Commonwealth spelling is foetus, which has been in use since at least 1594.
Where does the word "fetus" come from?
The spelling with -oe- arose in Late Latin, in which the distinction between the vowel sounds -oe- and -e- had been lost. This spelling is the most common in most Commonwealth nations, except in the medical literature, where fetus is used. The more classical spelling fetus is used in Canada and the United States.
How long is a fetus at 40 weeks?
Weeks 26 to 38 (6.6 to 8.6 months) Artist's depiction of fetus at 40 weeks gestational age, about 51 cm (20 in) from head to toe. The amount of body fat rapidly increases. Lungs are not fully mature. Thalamic brain connections, which mediate sensory input, form.
How long does it take for a baby to feel a fetus?
Weeks 17 to 25 (3.6 to 6.6 months) A woman pregnant for the first time ( nulliparous) typically feels fetal movements at about 21 weeks, whereas a woman who has given birth before will typically feel movements by 20 weeks. By the end of the fifth month, the fetus is about 20 cm (8 inches) long.
How long does it take for a fetus to be born?
Weeks 9 to 16 (2 to 3.6 months) A human fetus, attached to placenta, at three months gestational age. In humans, the fetal stage starts nine weeks after fertilization. At the start of the fetal stage, the fetus is typically about 30 millimetres (1.2 in) in length from crown-rump, and weighs about 8 grams. The head makes up nearly half of the size ...
How is prenatal blood different from postnatal blood?
The prenatal circulation of blood is different from postnatal circulation, mainly because the lungs are not in use. The fetus obtain s oxygen and nutrients from the mother through the placenta and the umbilical cord. Blood from the placenta is carried to the fetus by the umbilical vein.
What is the name of the unborn offspring of an animal that develops from an embryo?
A fetus or foetus ( / ˈfiːtəs /; plural fetuses, feti, foetuses, or foeti) is the unborn offspring of an animal that develops from an embryo. Following embryonic development the fetal stage of development takes place.
What does "fetus" mean?
fe·tus·es. ( fē'tŭs, fē'tŭs-ez ), Avoid the incorrect plural feti. 1. The unborn young of a viviparous animal following the embryonic period. 2. In humans, the product of conception from the end of the eighth week of gestation to the moment of birth. [L. offspring] Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012.
What is a fetus?
fetus. (fē′təs) n. pl. fe·tuses. 1. The unborn young of a viviparous vertebrate having a basic structural resemblance to the adult animal. 2. In humans, the unborn young from the end of the eighth week after conception to the moment of birth, as distinguished from the earlier embryo.
How long is a fetus in the womb?
The brain is in a primitive state, incapable of any meaningful form of consciousness. By 3 months, the fetus is about 5 cm long (crown to rump) and by 4 months it is about 10 cm long. In the 6th month, the fetus is up to 20 cm long and weighs up to 800 g. Survival outside the womb at this stage is unlikely.
How long does it take for a fetus to grow?
The stages of growth of the fetus are fairly well defined. At the end of the first month it has grown beyond microscopic size. After 2 months it is a little over 2.5 cm long, its face is formed, and its limbs are partly formed.
What is the average length of a fetus at the end of 9 months?
At the end of 9 months, the average length of a fetus is 50 cm and the average weight is 3.2 kg. adj., adj fe´tal. calcified fetus a dead fetus that has become calcified in utero; called also lithopedion. fetus in fe´tu a small, imperfect fetus, incapable of independent life, contained within the body of another fetus.
How big is a fetus at 10 weeks?
The fetus has all the recognizable external characteristics of a human being. At 10 weeks, the fetus measures about 2.5 cm from the crown of the head to the rump. The face is formed but the eyelids are fused together. The brain is in a primitive state, incapable of any meaningful form of consciousness.
What is the term for the developing young in the uterus?
fetus. [ fe´tus] ( L.) the developing young in the uterus, specifically the unborn offspring in the postembryonic period, which in humans is from the third month after fertilization until birth. See also embryo . The stages of growth of the fetus are fairly well defined. At the end of the first month it has grown beyond microscopic size.

Overview
Etymology
The word fetus (plural fetuses or feti) is related to the Latin fētus ("offspring", "bringing forth", "hatching of young") and the Greek "φυτώ" to plant. The word "fetus" was used by Ovid in Metamorphoses, book 1, line 104.
The predominant British, Irish, and Commonwealth spelling is foetus, which has been in use since at least 1594. The spelling with -oe- arose in Late Latin, in which the distinction between the vow…
Development in humans
In humans, the fetal stage starts nine weeks after fertilization. At the start of the fetal stage, the fetus is typically about 30 millimetres (1+1⁄4 in) in length from crown-rump, and weighs about 8 grams. The head makes up nearly half of the size of the fetus. Breathing-like movements of the fetus are necessary for the stimulation of lung development, rather than for obtaining oxygen. The heart, hands, feet, brain and other organs are present, but are only at the beginning of developm…
Viability
Fetal viability refers to a point in fetal development at which the fetus may survive outside the womb. The lower limit of viability is approximately 5+3⁄4 months gestational age and is usually later.
There is no sharp limit of development, age, or weight at which a fetus automatically becomes viable. According to data from 2003 to 2005, survival rates are 20–35% for babies born at 23 we…
Circulatory system
The heart and blood vessels of the circulatory system, form relatively early during embryonic development, but continue to grow and develop in complexity in the growing fetus. A functional circulatory system is a biological necessity, since mammalian tissues can not grow more than a few cell layers thick without an active blood supply. The prenatal circulation of blood is different from postnatal circulation, mainly because the lungs are not in use. The fetus obtains oxygen an…
Immune system
The placenta functions as a maternal-fetal barrier against the transmission of microbes. When this is insufficient, mother-to-child transmission of infectious diseases can occur.
Maternal IgG antibodies cross the placenta, giving the fetus passive immunity against those diseases for which the mother has antibodies. This transfer of antibodies in humans begins as early as the fifth month (gestational age) and certainly by the sixth month.
Developmental problems
A developing fetus is highly susceptible to anomalies in its growth and metabolism, increasing the risk of birth defects. One area of concern is the lifestyle choices made during pregnancy. Diet is especially important in the early stages of development. Studies show that supplementation of the person's diet with folic acid reduces the risk of spina bifida and other neural tube defects. Another dietary concern is whether breakfast is eaten. Skipping breakfast could lead to extende…
Fetal pain
Fetal pain, its existence and its implications are debated politically and academically. According to the conclusions of a review published in 2005, "Evidence regarding the capacity for fetal pain is limited but indicates that fetal perception of pain is unlikely before the third trimester." However, developmental neurobiologists argue that the establishment of thalamocortical connections (at about 6+1⁄2 months) is an essential event with regard to fetal perception of pain. Nevertheless, …