androgenous

[ an-droj-uh-nuhs ]

adjective

, Biology.

1. pertaining to the production of or tending to produce male offspring.

androgenous

/ ænˈdrɒdʒɪnəs /

adjective

1. biology producing only male offspring

Other Words From

• semi·an·droge·nous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of androgenous¹

First recorded in 1750–60; andro- + -genous

More About Androgenous

What does androgenous mean?

Androgenous is used in biology and botany to describe something that only has or only tends to have male offspring, typically plants, as in Farmers engineered androgenous corn plants. 

Androgenous is rarely used, even in a scientific context. It should not be confused with the word androgynous.

Androgynous is used in botany to describe plants with both staminate and pistillate flowers. More generally, it is commonly used to describe a person who is neither clearly masculine or feminine in appearance.

Example: In his experiment, the botanist created androgenous flowers in an attempt to prevent them from reproducing.

Where does androgenous come from?

The first records of androgenous come from the 1750s. It’s a combination of andro-, meaning “male,” and -genous, meaning “yielding” or “generating.” An androgenous organism only produces male offspring.

Most plants naturally release seeds that produce both male and female offspring. Some other plants contain both sex organs. Sometimes, scientists engineer plants that only make seeds that will grow to be male plants. Such plants are referred to as androgenous.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to androgenous?

• semiandrogenous (adjective)

What are some words that share a root or word element with androgenous? 

• androgen
• android
• exogenous

What are some words that often get used in discussing androgenous?

• male
• offspring
• botany
• flower
• plant
• reproduce

What are some words androgenous may be commonly confused with?

• androgynous

Try using androgenous!

Is androgenous used correctly in the following sentence?

The experiment calls for androgenous plants with only staminate flowers.