em·bryo
ˈem-brē-ˌō 
plural embryos
1
a
: an animal in the early stages of growth and differentiation that are characterized by cleavage, the laying down of fundamental tissues, and the formation of primitive organs and organ systems
especially
: the developing human individual from the time of implantation to the end of the eighth week after conception
b
archaic
: a vertebrate at any stage of development prior to birth or hatching
2
: the young sporophyte of a seed plant usually comprising a rudimentary plant with plumule, radicle, and cotyledons
3
a
: something as yet undeveloped
b
: a beginning or undeveloped state of something
productions seen in embryo during their out-of-town tryout period—
Henry Hewes
Henry Hewes
: embryo
embryogeny
Examples of embryo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
New Atlas, 17 Dec. 2024
With in-vitro fertilization (IVF), a surgeon removes an egg from the female, applies the male's sperm to the egg, and transplants the resulting embryo back into the uterus (womb).2
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a less invasive option.
—Mark Gurarie, Health, 14 Dec. 2024
The cloning begins with making embryos from the cells.
—Camille Bromley, WIRED, 4 Nov. 2024
Females hold their embryos dormant until after December’s summer solstice then, as each day gets a bit shorter, deliver babies in late January.
—Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for embryo 
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Noun
View 2 Images An innovative fertility technology using stem cells to help an embryo mature outside the body has resulted in the world’s first live human birth.
—New Atlas, 17 Dec. 2024
With in-vitro fertilization (IVF), a surgeon removes an egg from the female, applies the male's sperm to the egg, and transplants the resulting embryo back into the uterus (womb).2
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a less invasive option.
—Mark Gurarie, Health, 14 Dec. 2024
The cloning begins with making embryos from the cells.
—Camille Bromley, WIRED, 4 Nov. 2024
Females hold their embryos dormant until after December’s summer solstice then, as each day gets a bit shorter, deliver babies in late January.
—Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for embryo
Articles Related to embryo
Dictionary Entries Near embryo
Cite this Entry
“Embryo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embryo. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
embryo
noun
em·bryo
ˈem-brē-ˌō
plural embryos
1
: an animal in the early stages of development that are marked by cleavage, the laying down of the basic tissues, and the formation of primitive organs and organ systems compare fetus
2
: a tiny young plant within a seed
3
: a beginning or undeveloped stage
—used especially in the phrase in embryo
Medical Definition
embryo
noun
em·bryo
ˈem-brē-ˌō
plural embryos
1
archaic
: a vertebrate at any stage of development prior to birth or hatching
2
: an animal in the early stages of growth and differentiation that are characterized by cleavage, the laying down of fundamental tissues, and the formation of primitive organs and organ systems
especially
: the developing human individual from the time of implantation to the end of the eighth week after conception compare fetus
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