in vitro

[ in vee-troh ]

See synonyms for in vitro on Thesaurus.com

adverb, adjective

(of a biological process) made to occur in a laboratory vessel or other controlled experimental environment rather than within a living organism or natural setting.: Compare in silico, in vivo.

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Origin of in vitro

First recorded in 1890–95; from Latin in vitrō, literally, “in glass”

Words Nearby in vitro

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use in vitro in a sentence

In-vitro fertilization could also come under threat, opponents say, as the process can result in discarded embryos.
‘Personhood’ Leader Keith Mason Says His Family Home Was Attacked | Abigail Pesta | July 2, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Mason said opponents use birth control and in-vitro fertilization as "scare tactics."
‘Personhood’ Leader Keith Mason: Oklahoma Ruling Helps the Movement | Abigail Pesta | April 30, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Democrats say such amendments would “ban IUDs, the morning-after pill, in-vitro fertilization, and all abortions.”
The GOP's Nightmare Debate | Jill Lawrence | November 4, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
When attempting in-vitro fertilization with their own eggs, 85 percent of women in their forties fail to conceive.
Carla Bruni, Pregnant at 43? | Anneli Rufus | April 28, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for in vitro

in vitro

/ (ɪn ˈviːtrəʊ) /

adverb, adjective

(of biological processes or reactions) made to occur outside the living organism in an artificial environment, such as a culture medium

Origin of in vitro

New Latin, literally: in glass

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for in vitro

in vitro

[ ĭn vē′trō ]

In an artificial environment, such as a test tube. Compare in vivo.

Cultural definitions for in vitro

in vitro

[ (in vee-troh) ]

In the laboratory; literally, “in glass” (laboratory experiments are often carried out in glass containers). In vitro conditions are distinguished from conditions that actually apply in nature. (Compare in vivo.)

Notes for in vitro

In vitro appears in the expression in vitro fertilization, a way of producing human embryos in a laboratory.

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