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.

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Origin of oviparous

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

OTHER WORDS FROM oviparous

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

Words nearby oviparous

oviform, ovigenesis, ovimbundu, ovine, ovipara, oviparous, oviposit, ovipositor, ovisac, ovo-, ovo-lacto-vegetarian
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for oviparous

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 of oviparous

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

Scientific 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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.