megaspore

American  

[meg-uh-spawr, -spohr] / ˈmɛg əˌspɔr, -ˌspoʊr /

noun

Botany.

1. the larger of the two kinds of spores characteristically produced by seed plants and a few fern allies, developing into a female gametophyte.

2. the embryo sac of a flowering plant.

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megaspore British  

/ ˈmɛɡəˌspɔː /

noun

1. Also called: macrospore.  the larger of the two types of spore produced by some spore-bearing plants, which develops into the female gametophyte Compare microspore

2. the cell in flowering plants that gives rise to the embryo sac

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megaspore Scientific  

/ mĕg′ə-spôr /

1. One of the two types of haploid spores produced by a heterosporous plant. Megaspores develop into female gametophytes and are usually larger than microspores.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• megasporic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of megaspore

First recorded in 1885–90; mega- + spore