miscarriage

Everyday

1. When a baby growing inside its mother dies and comes out too early, long before it could live on its own. tree →
2. (formal) A miscarriage of justice is when a court gets it wrong and punishes someone who did nothing wrong. tree →
3. (formal, old) A failure of a plan, or a letter or parcel going to the wrong place. tree →

In the lessons

A sad, gentle word used in families, health lessons and stories; people speak it softly and kindly. In history and news, «a miscarriage of justice» tells the reader an innocent person was wrongly blamed. Phrases: have a miscarriage, a miscarriage of justice.

Examples

• Mum had a miscarriage before my little brother was born. tree →
• She was very sad after the miscarriage, so we made her a card. tree →
• Doctors said nobody was to blame for the miscarriage. tree →
• Locking up the wrong man was a miscarriage of justice. tree →
• The newspaper called the trial a terrible miscarriage of justice. tree →
• Talk about a miscarriage gently, because it hurts families. tree →

Note

Countable noun: a miscarriage, two miscarriages. Verb form: miscarry (miscarried). Not the same as «carriage» (a coach or train car). A sensitive topic: speak kindly and do not joke about it. Not a maths word.