embryonic
Americanadjective
-
pertaining to or in the state of an embryo.
-
rudimentary; undeveloped.
- Synonyms:
- unfinished, immature, underdeveloped
adjective
-
of or relating to an embryo
-
in an early stage; rudimentary; undeveloped
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of embryonic
Explanation
If something is described as embryonic, it's just starting to develop or come together. An "embryo" is a person or animal that is still growing in the womb or egg, and embryonic means "like an embryo." The idea for Facebook was still embryonic when its creators agreed to be partners. At that early stage, none of them could have imagined what an enormous company it would become. Scientists working on embryonic stem-cell research are working on stem cells from embryos, which have special properties not found in any other cells. Our relationship was still embryonic when you suggested we move in together, but for me, the first date is way too early to think about such things.
Vocabulary lists containing embryonic
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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.
Embryonic testing can reveal secrets like genetic disorders.
From Slate • May 7, 2024
What makes it even more difficult: Embryonic development does not always follow the expected timetable.
From Science Daily • Nov. 23, 2023
Embryonic tissue was too delicate to withstand pressure from the clasp of a microtome.
From Scientific American • Apr. 9, 2022
The video also shows an email referencing the HEK293T cell line — or Human Embryonic Kidney 293 — which was first established in the early 1970s using cells from a kidney of a fetus.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 8, 2021
Embryonic Membranes.—A remarkable feature in the embryonic development of most Hexapoda is the formation of a protective membrane analogous to the amnion of higher Vertebrates and known by the same term.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 4 "Hero" to "Hindu Chronology" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
