ovotestis

American

[oh-vuh-tes-tis] / ˌoʊ vəˈtɛs tɪs /

noun

Zoology.

the hermaphroditic reproductive organ of some gastropods, containing both an ovary and a testis.

ovotestis British

/ ˌəʊvəʊˈtɛstɪs /

noun

the reproductive organ of snails, which produces both ova and spermatozoa

"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

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

ovotestes

plural

Etymology

Origin of ovotestis

1875–80; ovo- (irregular for ovi- ) + testis

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In 2011, researchers showed6 that if another key ovarian gene, RSPO1, is not working normally, it causes XX people to develop an ovotestis — a gonad with areas of both ovarian and testicular development.

From Nature • Feb. 17, 2015

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023