oviparous

[ oh-vip-er-uhs ]

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

Compare Meanings

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

Origin of oviparous

1
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, noun
  • o·vip·a·rous·ly, adverb

Words Nearby oviparous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use oviparous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for oviparous

oviparous

/ (əʊˈvɪpərəs) /


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

Derived forms of oviparous

  • oviparity (ˌəʊvɪˈpærɪtɪ), noun
  • oviparously, 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-vĭpər-əs ]


  1. 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.