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• sperm
  sperm

  noun

  semen.
• sperm-
  sperm-

  variant of spermo- before a vowel.
• -sperm
  -sperm

  a combining form with the meaning “one having seeds” of the kind specified by the initial element.

sperm

¹ American  

[spurm] / spɜrm /

noun

plural

sperm, sperms

1. semen.

2. a male reproductive cell; spermatozoon.

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sperm ² American  

[spurm] / spɜrm /

noun

1. spermaceti.

2. sperm whale.

3. sperm oil.

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sperm- ³ American  

1. variant of spermo- before a vowel.

   spermine.

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-sperm ⁴ American  

1. a combining form with the meaning “one having seeds” of the kind specified by the initial element.

   gymnosperm.

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sperm ¹ British  

/ spɜːm /

noun

1. short for sperm whale spermaceti sperm oil

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-sperm ² British  

combining form

1. (in botany) a seed

   gymnosperm

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sperm ³ British  

/ spɜːm /

noun

1. another name for semen

2. a male reproductive cell; male gamete

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sperm Scientific  

/ spûrm /

1. The smaller, usually motile male reproductive cell of most organisms that reproduce sexually. Sperm cells are haploid (they have half the number of chromosomes as the other cells in the organism's body). Sperm often have at least one flagellum. During fertilization, the nucleus of a sperm fuses with the nucleus of the much larger egg cell (the female reproductive cell) to form a new organism. In male animals, sperm are normally produced by the testes in extremely large numbers in order to increase the chances of fertilizing an egg. Motile sperm cells produced by some multicellular protist groups (such as the algae), the bryophyte plants, and the seedless vascular plants, require water to swim to the egg cell. In gymnosperms and angiosperms, sperm do not need water for mobility but are carried to the female reproductive organs in the pollen grain. In the cycads and the gingko (both gymnosperms), the sperm are motile and propel themselves down the pollen tube to reach the egg cell. In the conifers and angiosperms, the sperm are not themselves motile but are conveyed to the ovule by the growing pollen tube.

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sperm Cultural  

1. The male sex cell, typically consisting of a head, midpiece, and tail. (See fertilization.)

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Usage

What does sperm- mean? Sperm- is a combining form used like a prefix representing “sperm.” Sperm are the reproductive cells contained in semen. Sperm- means "sperm" both literally and figuratively, as in "germ" or "seed." It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology. Sperm- comes from the Greek spérma, meaning “seed.”What are variants of sperm-?Sperm- is a variant of spermo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. The forms spermi- and spermato- are also combining forms from Greek spérma that are variously used to mean "sperm" or "seed."Related combining forms used as suffixes include -sperm, -spermal, -spermic, and -spermous. Want to learn more? Check out our Words That Use entries for each of these seven forms.

Closer Look

The human sperm cell is divided into a head that contains the nucleus, a mid-section that contains mitochondria to provide energy for the sperm, and a flagellum that allows the sperm to move. When fertilization occurs, the nucleus and other contents from the sperm cells are drawn into the cytoplasm of the egg, but the mitochondria in the sperm are destroyed and do not survive in the zygote. Since mitochondria contain their own DNA (thought to be a relic from an existence as separate symbiotic organisms), all of the mitochrondrial DNA in humans is thus inherited from the female. The semen produced by the male reproductive tract as a medium for sperm typically contains over 100 million sperm cells, all of which have but one purpose: to fertilize the single available egg.

Discover More

Sperm are much smaller than the ova they fertilize.

Other Word Forms

• -spermous
  combining form

Etymology

Origin of sperm¹

1350–1400; Middle English sperme < Late Latin sperma < Greek spérma seed, equivalent to sper- (base of speírein to sow seeds) + -ma noun suffix of result

Origin of sperm²

First recorded in 1830–40; by shortening

Origin of -sperm⁴

< Greek -spermos; see -spermous

Example Sentences

Sperm quality is highest in the summer and lowest in the winter, according to a new study.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

Nicole Nel, operations and laboratory manager at the London Sperm Bank, believes the shortage is not due to a "lack of applicants" in the UK, but "the lack in the quality of the applicants".

From BBC • Sep. 30, 2024

Sperm whales derive their name from the waxy, liquid substance produced in their skulls by a massive biological structure called the spermaceti organ.

From Salon • Aug. 23, 2024

Sperm whales communicate through rhythmic patterns of clicks called codas.

From Science Daily • May 16, 2024

These Sperm Whales love to swim in herds, or schools.

From Within the Deep Cassell's "Eyes and No Eyes" Series, Book VIII. by Smith, R. Cadwallader

Related Words

• berry
• corn
• egg
• grain
• nut