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ovum
[ oh-vuhm ]
/ ˈoʊ vəm /
See the most commonly confused word associated with oocyte
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noun, plural o·va [oh-vuh]. /ˈoʊ və/.
Cell Biology.
- the female reproductive cell or gamete of animals, which is capable of developing, usually only after fertilization, into a new individual.
- the female reproductive cell or gamete of plants.
Architecture. an oval ornament, as in an egg-and-dart molding.
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Origin of ovum
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
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British Dictionary definitions for ovum
ovum
/ (ˈəʊvəm) /
noun plural ova (ˈəʊvə)
an unfertilized female gamete; egg cell
Word Origin for ovum
from Latin: egg
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 ovum
ovum
[ ō′vəm ]
Plural ova
The mature reproductive cell of female animals, produced in the ovaries. See more at egg.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.