EMBRYO Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

embryo

[em-bree-oh]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural

embryos

the young of a viviparous animal, especially of a mammal, in the early stages of development within the womb, in humans up to the end of the second month.
the rudimentary plant usually contained in the seed.
any multicellular animal in a developmental stage preceding birth or hatching.
the beginning or rudimentary stage of anything.
He charged that the party policy was socialism in embryo.

adjective

embryonic.

embryo-

a combining form representing embryo in compound words.
embryology.

embryo

/ ˈɛ��ɪˌəʊ /

noun

an animal in the early stages of development following cleavage of the zygote and ending at birth or hatching
the human product of conception up to approximately the end of the second month of pregnancy Compare fetus
a plant in the early stages of development: in higher plants, the plumule, cotyledons, and radicle within the seed
an undeveloped or rudimentary state (esp in the phrase in embryo )
something in an early stage of development
an embryo of an idea

embryo

An animal in its earliest stage of development, before all the major body structures are represented. In humans, the embryonic stage lasts through the first eight weeks of pregnancy. In humans, other placental mammals, and other viviparous animals, young born as embryos cannot thrive. In marsupials, the young are born during the embryonic stage and complete their development outside the uterus, attached to a teat within the mother's pouch.
The developing young of an egg-laying animal before hatching.
The sporophyte of a plant in its earliest stages of development, such as the miniature, partially developed plant contained within a seed before germination.

embryo

A developing plant or animal. A plant embryo is an undeveloped plant inside a seed. An animal embryo is the animal as it develops from the single cell of the zygote until birth. Among humans and most other mammals, the embryo is carried in the mother's womb.

Discover More

The term is occasionally used to denote a new or developing idea or project: “The idea for the complete theory was already present in his work, in embryo form, in 1950.”

Discover More

Other 51�Թ� Forms

ˈ�𳾲��ˌ�Ǿ�� adjective

Discover More

51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of embryo¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Medieval Latin embryo, embryon-, from Greek é��ǲ�, noun use of neuter of é��ǲ� “ingrowing,” equivalent to em- “in” + bry- (stem of ��ý�𾱲� “to swell”) + -os adjective suffix; em- ²

Discover More

51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of embryo¹

C16: from Late Latin, from Greek embruon, from bruein to swell

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Female tennis players who wish to freeze eggs or embryos, so they can start a family at a later date, will have their ranking protected by the WTA Tour.

From

"I'm talking about 4,000 frozen embryos. These are not just numbers, they're people's dreams. People who waited years, went through painful treatments, and pinned their hopes on these tanks that were ultimately destroyed."

From

Although the bomb ripped the building in half, the clinic’s director said no embryos were harmed.

From

The fertility clinic said their lab, including all eggs and embryos, remained "fully secure and undamaged".

From

As a new mother to an infant, she said she immediately thought about the people whose eggs or embryos could have been endangered or damaged in the blast.

From

Discover More

When To Use

What does embryo- mean?

Embryo- is a combining form used like a prefix representing the word embryo. It is often used in scientific terms, especially in anatomy and biology.Embryo- ultimately comes from the Greek é��ǲ�, meaning “ingrowing.”What are variants of embryo-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, embryo- becomes embry-, as in embryectomy.

embryectomy embryogeny

Browse