A device, medicine, or method designed to prevent pregnancy.
From Latin 'contra-' meaning 'against' combined with 'conceptus' meaning 'conceived.' The word was coined in the early 20th century as birth control methods became available.
The word literally means 'against conception,' but it's fascinating that reliable contraceptives changed human history—they gave women control over having children, which shifted education, careers, and society starting in the 1960s!
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