1. [v]  terminate a pregnancy by undergoing an abortion
2. [v]  terminate before completion, as of a computer process, a mission, etc.

ABORT is a 5 letter word that starts with A.

1. \A*bort"\ ([.a]*b[^o]rt"), v. i. [L. abortare, fr.
   abortus, p. p. of aboriri; ab + oriri to rise, to be born.
   See {Orient}.]
   1. To miscarry; to bring forth young prematurely.
   2. (Biol.) To become checked in normal development, so as
      either to remain rudimentary or shrink away wholly; to
      become sterile.
   

2. \A*bort"\, n. [L. abortus, fr. aboriri.]
   1. An untimely birth. [Obs.] --Sir H. Wotton.
   2. An aborted offspring. [Obs.] --Holland.
   

To terminate a program or process abnormally and usually suddenly, with or without diagnostic information. "My program aborted", "I aborted the transmission". The noun form in computing is "abort", not "abortion", e.g. "We've had three aborts over the last two days".

If a unix kernel aborts it is known as a panic.