oviposit

[ oh-vuh-poz-it, oh-vuh-poz- ]

/ ˌoʊ vəˈpɒz ɪt, ˈoʊ vəˌpɒz- /

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verb (used without object)

to deposit or lay eggs, especially by means of an ovipositor.

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Origin of oviposit

First recorded in 1810–20; ovi- + -posit, from Latin positus (see posit)

OTHER WORDS FROM oviposit

o·vi·po·si·tion

[oh-vuh-puh-zish-uhn], /ˌoʊ və pəˈzɪʃ ən/, noun

Words nearby oviposit

oviform, Ovimbundu, ovine, ovipara, oviparous, oviposit, oviposition, ovipositor, ovisac, OV language, ovo-

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

How to use oviposit in a sentence

The species which oviposit on larger plants or trees are inclosed in a gauze bag tied over the branch.
Directions for Collecting and Preserving Insects|C. V. Riley
The female soon begins to oviposit—the eggs, as fast as they are dropped, being carried away into the nurseries by the workers.
The Dawn of Reason|James Weir
The beetles appear outside in April and May, and probably oviposit soon afterward.
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the|Various
The wasp tried to oviposit into the egg case but was upset and pursued by the cockroach.
The Biotic Associations of Cockroaches|Louis M. Roth

But a considerable number oviposit in larv which lie concealed where so short an instrument could not possibly approach them.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. I (of 4)|William Kirby

British Dictionary definitions for oviposit

oviposit

/ (ˌəʊvɪˈpɒzɪt) /

verb

(intr) (of insects and fishes) to deposit eggs through an ovipositor

Derived forms of oviposit

oviposition (ˌəʊvɪpəˈzɪʃən), noun

Word Origin for oviposit

C19: ovi- + positus, past participle of Latin pōnere to place

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