zygote

American  

[zahy-goht, zig-oht] / ˈzaɪ goʊt, ˈzɪg oʊt /

noun

Biology.

1. the cell produced by the union of two gametes, before it undergoes cleavage.

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zygote British  

/ ˈzɪɡ-, zɪ-, ˈzaɪɡəʊt, zaɪˈɡɒtɪk /

noun

1. the cell resulting from the union of an ovum and a spermatozoon

2. the organism that develops from such a cell

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zygote Scientific  

/ zī′gōt′ /

1. The cell formed by the union of the nuclei of two reproductive cells (gametes), especially a fertilized egg cell.

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zygote Cultural  

1. The single cell that results from fertilization of an ovum by a sperm. After dividing several times, it implants in the uterus. It continues to divide, producing more cells and passing through the stages of embryo and fetus.

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Other Word Forms

• zygotic adjective
• zygotically adverb

Etymology

Origin of zygote

1885–90; < Greek zygōtós yoked, equivalent to zygō-, variant stem of zygoûn to yoke, join together (derivative of zygón yoke ¹ ) + -tos adj. suffix

Compare meaning

How does zygote compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• gamete vs. zygote

Example Sentences

Hell, social media as we know it was a zygote.

From Salon

Since Rachel and Alvy only ever feel like constructs, not characters, it’s predictable that their attitudes would reverse once their zygote is encased in egg-shaped plastic.

From Los Angeles Times

Yes, all the zygote seems to get by way of instruction is a genome, but you will look there in vain for any blueprint for a heart or brain.

From Scientific American

The word ‘fetus’ refers to a specific gestational stage of development, as opposed to the zygote, blastocyst, or embryo stages.

From Washington Post

But when these gametes first form, it may be that pairs of chromosomes do not fully separate, leading to a zygote with a genome that is twice as large as its parents’.

From New York Times