sperm

1 of 2

noun

ˈspərm 

plural sperm or sperms

1

a

: semen

b

: a male gamete

especially : spermatozoon sense 1

2

: a product of the sperm whale

sperm-

2 of 2

combining form

variants or spermo- or sperma- or spermi-

: seed : germ : sperm

spermatheca

spermicide

Examples of sperm in a Sentence

Noun

The sperm fertilizes the egg.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Tina, 59, is battling a uterine infection and Billy, 40, could face invasive sperm extractions, according to Courtney Scott, veteran elephant consultant with In Defense of Animals. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026

Exposure to phthalates affects sperm quality, chances of conception, ovulation function, and the risk of miscarriage. —Shanna Swan, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026

What to read next McPherson thinks the initial quality gain observed in embryos formed after only four hours of microgravity exposure was due to the natural selection process that had occurred, allowing only the fittest sperms to reach the eggs. —Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 27 Mar. 2026

For their study, the researchers tested both human and mouse sperm. —Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 27 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Middle French esperme, sperme, from Late Latin spermat-, sperma, from Greek, literally, seed, from speirein to sow; probably akin to Armenian p'aratem I dispense

Combining form

Greek sperm-, spermo-, from sperma

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sperm

• sperm bank
• sperm cell
• sperm count
• sperm donor
• sperm nucleus
• sperm oil
• sperm whale

Rhymes for sperm

• berm
• ferm
• firm
• germ
• herm
• squirm
• term
• therm
• worm
• wurm
• affirm
• bookworm

Kids Definition

sperm

noun

ˈspərm 

plural sperm or sperms

1

: semen

2

: a mobile male gamete that has a long and thin or rounded head and a long thin tail that acts as a flagellum

called also spermatozoon, sperm cell

Medical Definition

sperm

noun

ˈspərm 

plural sperm or sperms

1

: the male impregnating fluid : semen

2

: a male gamete

especially : spermatozoon