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Synonyms

preemie

American  
[pree-mee] / ˈpri mi /

noun

Informal.

  1. an infant born prematurely; a preterm.

preemie British  
/ ˈpriːmɪ /

noun

  1. slang a premature infant

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of preemie

1925–30; prem(ature), respelled to represent the pronunciation unambiguously + -ie

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

You may have heard the term "preemie" before, perhaps when a loved one delivered a baby more than three weeks before the expected due date.

From Salon • Aug. 7, 2023

Many dolls are made to fit preemie, newborn, or even Build-a-Bear clothes.

From The Verge • Mar. 10, 2022

"He was a preemie, so to me this is even more of an issue."

From Fox News • Feb. 9, 2022

Baby Connor was born a tiny preemie in July, weighing just 11 ounces – about the size of a human heart and lighter than a can of soda.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 12, 2019

“No posing for hours on end,” she says, looking back at the preemie, her face suddenly serious.

From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.