teratogen

te·rat·o·gen  (t-rt-jn, tr-t-)

n.

An agent, such as a virus, a drug, or radiation, that causes malformation of an embryo or fetus.

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teratogen  (t-rt-jn, tr-t-)

An agent, such as a virus, a drug, or radiation, that can cause malformations in an embryo or fetus.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

teratogen - any agent that interferes with normal embryonic development: alcohol or thalidomide or X-rays or rubella are examples thalidomide - a sedative and hypnotic drug; withdrawn from sale after discovered to cause severe birth defects because it inhibits angiogenesis agent - an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect; "their research uncovered new disease agents"