acardius
noun
acar·dius
(ˈ)ā-ˈkärd-ē-əs
: one of a pair of twin fetuses that develops without a heart and receives its blood supply from its twin through vascular connections on the placenta
… due to the parasitic relationship of the acardius, there is a high risk of mortality (50-75%) in the donor twin …—Ona Marie Faye-Peterson et al., Handbook of Placental Pathology
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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