ovum
Americannoun
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ova
plural
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Cell Biology.
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the female reproductive cell or gamete of animals, which is capable of developing, usually only after fertilization, into a new individual.
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the female reproductive cell or gamete of plants.
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Architecture. an oval ornament, as in an egg-and-dart molding.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of ovum
First recorded in 1700–10; from Latin ōvum egg 1; cognate with Greek ōión
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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Just as the human being emerges from the fertilized ovum, the creation of the possible is a natural gift and phenomenon we have been given as human beings.
From Salon ● Jan. 20, 2025
The second was what's called a "blighted ovum" where a gestational sac was found, but no embryo was developing.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2021
Let us take a ride, For truly, sir, thy life is incomplete ’Til viridescent ovum thou hast tried Together with a slice of glaucous meat!
From Washington Post ● May 16, 2019
When a sperm and ovum combine during fertilization, the result is a single cell with a full set of genes, called the zygote.
From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2018
Lanning considered, “If you had all your equipment—the brain, the skeleton, the ovum, the proper hormones and radiations—say, two months.”
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
A female has a system “developed to produce ova” while a male has a system “developed to fertilize” that ova.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 26, 2023
The bill defines female as having XX chromosomes, and a reproductive and endocrine system that produces or would produce ova, or eggs.
From Seattle Times ● May 22, 2023
There are those, politicians, pundits and even a few scientists, who maintain that whether our bodies make ova or sperm are all we need to know about sex.
From Scientific American ● May 1, 2023
But the fact that the woman produced ova did not necessarily mean she was a source of life.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2022
Ovarian ova found in April ranged in length from 23 to 35 millimeters.
From Natural History of Cottonmouth Moccasin, Agkistrodon piscovorus (Reptilia) by Ray D. Burkett
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