morula

[mawr-oo-luh, -yoo-]

noun, plural mor·u·las, mor·u·lae [mawr-oo-lee, -yoo-] /ˈmɔr ʊˌli, -yʊ-/. Embryology.

the mass of cells resulting from the cleavage of the ovum before the formation of a blastula.

Origin of morula

1855–60; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin mōr(um) mulberry + -ula -ule

Related formsmor·u·lar, adjectivepre·mor·u·lar, adjectivepseu·do·mor·u·lar, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for morula

Historical Examples of morula

A vertebrate ovum in this stage of complete segmentation is called the morula from its resemblance to a mulberry (Fig. 4).
The Anatomy of the Human Peritoneum and Abdominal Cavity
George. S. Huntington
Morula, mor′ū-la, n. condition of an ovum after complete segmentation: button-scurvy.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M)
Various
This stage is called the morula (“mulberry,” which it somewhat resembles in shape).
The Riddle of the Universe at the close of the nineteenth century
Ernst Haeckel
This morula, as I have called it, reproduces the next stage in the development of life.
The World's Greatest Books - Volume 15 - Science
Various
As a consequence of this superficial concentration we get segmentation of the vitellus, with the production of a morula.
The Mechanism of Life
Stphane Leduc

British Dictionary definitions for morula

morula

noun plural -las or -lae (-ˌliː)

embryol a solid ball of cells resulting from cleavage of a fertilized ovum

Derived Formsmorular, adjective

Word Origin for morula

C19: via New Latin, diminutive of Latin morum mulberry, from Greek moron

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 morula