med. jur. A French word, which signifies pregnant. 2. When a woman is pregnant, and is convicted of a capital crime, she cannot lawfully be punished till after her delivery. 3. in the English law, where a widow is suspected to feign herself with child, in order to produce a supposititious heir to the estate, the presumptive heir may have a writ de ventre inspiciendo, to examine whether she be with child or not.