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definitions

in vitro fertilization

noun

a specialized technique by which an ovum, especially a human one, is fertilized by sperm outside the body, with the resulting embryo later implanted in the uterus for gestation.

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Nearby words

  1. in vain,
  2. in view,
  3. in view of,
  4. in vino veritas,
  5. in vitro,
  6. in vivo,
  7. in vivo fertilization,
  8. in wait,
  9. in waiting,
  10. in with, be

Origin of in vitro fertilization

First recorded in 1970–75
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for in vitro fertilization

in vitro fertilization

noun

a technique enabling some women who are unable to conceive to bear children. Egg cells removed from a woman's ovary are fertilized by sperm in vitro; some of the resulting fertilized egg cells are incubated until the blastocyst stage, which are then implanted into her uterusAbbreviation: IVF
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

Medicine definitions for in vitro fertilization

in vitro fertilization

n.

Fertilization of an egg outside the body of a female by the addition of sperm, as a means of producing a zygote.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for in vitro fertilization

in vitro fertilization

Fertilization of an egg outside the body of a female by the addition of sperm, as a means of producing a zygote.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.