birth-control pill

[ burth-kuhn-trohl ]

noun

1. an oral contraceptive for women, containing the hormones estrogen and progesterone or progesterone alone, that inhibits ovulation, fertilization, or implantation of a fertilized ovum, causing temporary infertility.

Word History and Origins

Origin of birth-control pill¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

"It may be that the day will come when people say the birth-control pill was a mistake," Alan Sears explained.

From Salon

The Food and Drug Administration approved Thursday the first over-the-counter birth-control pill as concerns about cost, health hazards and correct usage take a back seat to reproductive rights after the fall of Roe v.

From Washington Times

If the FDA follows this advice, the medication, sold under the name Opill, will be the first birth-control pill available without prescription in the United States.

From Scientific American

Food and Drug Administration approved a birth-control pill called Opill for use without a prescription on Thursday.

From Scientific American

And there was also the constant fear, until the introduction of the birth-control pill in the 1960s, of unplanned pregnancies with no chance of a legal abortion before Roe v.

From Salon