micropyle
Americannoun
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Zoology. any minute opening in an ovum through which a spermatozoon can enter, as in many insects.
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Botany. the minute orifice or opening in the integuments of an ovule.
noun
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a small opening in the integuments of a plant ovule through which the male gametes pass
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a small pore in the shell of an insect's eggs through which the sperm passes
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A minute opening in the ovule of a seed plant through which the pollen tube usually enters.
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A pore in the membrane covering the ovum of some animals through which a spermatozoon can enter.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of micropyle
1815–25; micro- + Greek pýlē gate
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.
The integuments, while protecting the megasporangium, do not enclose it completely, but leave an opening called the micropyle.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015
An opening called a micropyle allows entry of the pollen tube from the base.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015
Three nuclei position themselves on the end of the embryo sac opposite the micropyle and develop into the antipodal cells, which later degenerate.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015
The integument contains an opening called the micropyle, through which the pollen tube enters the embryo sac.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015
Every ovule has a tiny opening, or micropyle as it is called, and it is now easy to guess what that is for.
From The Renewal of Life; How and When to Tell the Story to the Young by Morley, Margaret Warner
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.
