Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Relating to or capable of preventing contraception.
  • noun A contraceptive drug or device, such as a birth control pill or a condom.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective capable of preventing conception or impregnation.
  • noun a substance or device used to prevent conception.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective That acts to prevent conception as a result of sexual intercourse.
  • noun A mechanism or means by which conception as a result of sexual intercourse can be prevented or made less likely.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an agent or device intended to prevent conception
  • adjective capable of preventing conception or impregnation

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Coined in the twentieth century from contra- +‎ conceptive; compare the related contraception.

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Examples

Comments

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  • "Contraceptive myths have been around for thousands of years. Ancient methods have varied from crocodile dung and honey before sex, to sea sponges and beeswax after. Perhaps the most intoxicating was alcohol made from stewed beaver's testicles."

    - Sudeep Chand, Contraception myths 'widespread', bbc.co.uk, 5 Sep 2009.

    September 5, 2009