'aborticide' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'abortus,' where 'ab-' meant 'away' and 'oriri' meant 'to arise,' combined with 'caedere,' meaning 'to kill.'

'abortus' transformed into the Latin word 'aborticidium,' and eventually became the modern English word 'aborticide.'

Initially, it meant 'the act of killing a fetus,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.