Okuzeka
Veterinary Medicine vocabulary · Reproduction and Birth

Pregnant

Meaning in veterinary medicine, with examples

/ˈpreɡnənt/adjectiveCore term

In veterinary medicine, pregnant means: Carrying one or more developing young in the uterus. Farm vets often use species phrases instead, such as in calf, in lamb or in foal.

In Turkish: gebe

How it is used

The noun is pregnancy, and the length of pregnancy is gestation. Vets confirm pregnancy by ultrasound, palpation or a blood test (pregnancy diagnosis, PD). Dog breeders also say the bitch is in whelp.

Example sentences

  1. She's about six weeks pregnant, and we can see at least five puppies.

  2. Forty of the fifty heifers scanned pregnant.

Common collocations

  • confirm pregnancy
  • pregnancy diagnosis
  • pregnant bitch
  • pregnancy scanning
  • late pregnancy
  • calvingThe process of a cow giving birth to a calf. The verb is calve, and the time of year when the cows give birth is the calving season.
  • ultrasoundAn imaging method that uses high-frequency sound waves to show soft tissues and organs on a screen, such as the heart, liver, bladder or a pregnant uterus.
  • artificial inseminationPlacing semen collected from a male into a female's reproductive tract with instruments, instead of natural mating, to make her pregnant.
  • oestrusThe part of the reproductive cycle when a female animal is fertile and will accept mating, commonly called heat or, in dogs and cats, season. US spelling: estrus.

More terms: Reproduction and Birth

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.