oviparous

[ oh-vip-er-uh s ]

/ oʊˈvɪp ər əs /

adjective Zoology.

producing eggs that mature and hatch after being expelled from the body, as birds, most reptiles and fishes, and the monotremes.

Nearby words

oviform, ovigenesis, ovimbundu, ovine, ovipara, oviparous, oviposit, oviposition, ovipositor, ovisac, ovo-

Origin of oviparous

From the Latin word ōviparus, dating back to 1640–50. See ovi-, -parous

Related forms

o·vi·par·i·ty

[oh-vuh-par-i-tee] /ˌoʊ vəˈpær ɪ ti/, o·vip·a·rous·ness, nouno·vip·a·rous·ly, adverb

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

Examples from the Web for oviparous

It is an insect which has no wings, and the female is oviparous.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,|Mary Eaton
All birds and all insects that fly are oviparous, excepting some kinds of flies which bring forth their young alive.
Buffon's Natural History, Volume III (of 10)|Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon
Fleas are oviparous, and undergo a very complete metamorphosis.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 4|Various
It is an oviparous animal, and its eggs scarcely exceed in size those of a goose.
The Book of Curiosities|I. Platts

The former, as its name imports, is viviparous, whereas the other genera belonging to the family are (so far as known) oviparous.
Reptiles and Birds|Louis Figuier

British Dictionary definitions for oviparous

oviparous

/ (əʊˈvɪpərəs) /

adjective

(of fishes, reptiles, birds, etc) producing eggs that hatch outside the body of the motherCompare ovoviviparous, viviparous (def. 1)

Derived Forms

oviparity (ˌəʊvɪˈpærɪtɪ), nounoviparously, adverb

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

Science definitions for oviparous

oviparous

[ ō-vĭp′ər-əs ]

Producing eggs that hatch outside the body. Amphibians, birds, and most insects, fish, and reptiles are oviparous. Compare ovoviviparous viviparous.