placental

1 of 2

adjective

pla·​cen·​tal plə-ˈsen-tᵊl How to pronounce placental (audio)
1
: of, relating to, having, or occurring by means of a placenta
2

placental

2 of 2

noun

: a placental mammal : eutherian

Examples of placental in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Using at least once a month or more was linked to a greater risk of placental abruption, the study found. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 22 July 2024 Experts believe that cannabinoids, including tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, may bind to receptors in the placenta, disrupting estrogen signaling and affecting placental development and function. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 22 July 2024
Noun
In jurisdictions that did, the report said 33% of deaths were attributed to an unspecified cause and more than 24% of deaths involved placental, cord and membrane complications. Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2024 Extreme expansion of the olfactory receptor gene repertoire in African elephants and evolutionary dynamics of orthologous gene groups in 13 placental mammals Current Biology. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for placental 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of placental was in 1785

Dictionary Entries Near placental

Cite this Entry

“Placental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/placental. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

placental

1 of 2 adjective
pla·​cen·​tal -əl How to pronounce placental (audio)
1
: of, relating to, having, involving, or produced by a placenta
placental lactogen
placental defects
2
: of or relating to placental mammals

placental

2 of 2 noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!