pregnant
pronunciation
How to pronounce pregnant in British English:
UK [ˈpreɡnənt]
How to pronounce pregnant in American English:
US [ˈpreɡnənt]
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- Adjective:
- carrying developing offspring within the body or being about to produce new life
- rich in significance or implication
- filled with or attended with
Word Origin
- pregnant
- pregnant: [16] Latin praegnās ‘pregnant’ probably originated as a compound formed from prae ‘before’ and gnascī or nascī ‘be born’ (source of English nation, native, etc). It was altered to praegnāns, bringing it in line with present participial adjectives ending in -āns, and was borrowed into English in its stem form as pregnant. From it was derived the verb impregnāre, from which English gets impregnate [16], but English impregnable is quite unrelated, despite its similarity – it comes from Latin prehendere ‘seize’ (source also of English apprehend, comprehend, etc).=> impregnate, nation, native, nature
- pregnant (adj.2)
- "convincing, weighty, pithy," late 14c., "cogent, convincing, compelling" (of evidence, an argument, etc.); sense of "full of meaning" is from c. 1400. According to OED from Old French preignant, present participle of preindre "press, squeeze, stamp, crush," from earlier priembre, from Latin premere "to press" (see press (v.1)). But Watkins has it from Latin praehendere "to grasp, seize," and in Barnhart it is from Latin praegnans "with child," literally "before birth" and thus identical with pregnant (adj.1).
- pregnant (adj.1)
- "with child," early 15c., from Latin praegnantem (nominative praegnans, originally praegnas) "with child," literally "before birth," probably from prae- "before" (see pre-) + root of gnasci "be born" (see genus). Retained its status as a taboo word until c. 1950; modern euphemisms include anticipating, enceinte, expecting, in a family way, in a delicate (or interesting) condition. Old English terms included mid-bearne, literally "with child;" bearn-eaca, literally "child-adding" or "child-increasing;" and geacnod "increased." Among c. 1800 slang terms for "pregnant" was poisoned (in reference to the swelling).
Synonym
Example
- 1. I had gotten married in 2005 while stubhub was rising , and my wife was pregnant .
- 2. The most interesting thing about max levchin 's new venture to help women get pregnant is glow first .
- 3. " Which hard-partying , hot mess of a premium cable actress recently learned she is pregnant ?
- 4. He left behind a pregnant wife . "
- 5. I hadn 't run ultras before being pregnant .