• PhÅ“tus

    Full definition of phœtus

    Noun

    phœtus

    (plural phœtuses or phœti)
    1. (hypercorrect) Obsolete spelling of fetus

    Usage notes

    hypercorrect due to incorrect insertion of a ph digraph, which implies that the ascendant was a Grecian word spelled with φ, and etymologically inconsistent usage of œ, which the original Latin spelling did not contain.

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