spermatozoid

noun

sper·​ma·​to·​zo·​id (ˌ)spər-ˌma-tə-ˈzō-əd How to pronounce spermatozoid (audio)
ˌspər-mə-tə-
: a motile male gamete of a plant usually produced in an antheridium

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary, from New Latin spermatozoon

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spermatozoid was in 1854

Dictionary Entries Near spermatozoid

spermatozoan

spermatozoid

spermatozoon

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Spermatozoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spermatozoid. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Medical Definition

spermatozoid

noun
sper·​ma·​to·​zo·​id -ˈzō-əd How to pronounce spermatozoid (audio)
: a male gamete of a plant motile by anterior cilia
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
silhouette of a man with a megaphone against a british flag
Another Great British Vocabulary Quiz, Innit? A double-decker quiz with words from across the pond