ovum

[ oh-vuh m ]

/ ˈoʊ vəm /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ovum ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Nearby words

ovulation method, ovulatory, ovule, ovulocyclic, ovulum, ovum, ow, owatonna, owe, owelty, owen

Origin of ovum

1700–10; < Latin ōvum egg¹; cognate with Greek ōión

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ovum

But it is scarcely possible to say when the period of ripeness commenced in this ovum or that.
Schenk's Theory: The Determination of Sex|Samuel Leopold Schenk
When the absorption of the ridges is completed the surface of the ovum assumes a perfectly regular outline.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume II (of 4)|Francis Maitland Balfour
As a matter of convenience the ovum appears to be the most suitable point of departure.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume II (of 4)|Francis Maitland Balfour
The ovum then begins to grow, dividing itself into portions that go to make the different82 parts of the body.
Herself|E. B. Lowry

Spitzka has shown that the ovum possesses an inherent activity independently of fructification.
Degeneracy|Eugene S. Talbot

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

Medicine definitions for ovum

ovum

[ ō′vəm ]

n. pl. o•va (ō′və)

The female reproductive cell or gamete; egg.

Science definitions for ovum

ovum

[ ō′vəm ]

Plural ova

The mature reproductive cell of female animals, produced in the ovaries. See more at egg.