This noun means an untimely or premature birth, often a miscarriage or stillborn child. In 1 Corinthians 15:8, Paul uses it metaphorically of himself: "last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me." The term can be self-deprecating, suggesting Paul's apostolic call came abnormally, outside the normal sequence. He was not among the Twelve during Jesus' earthly ministry, making his encounter with the risen Christ exceptional and, in a sense, "premature" compared to the other apostles.