pronephros

[ proh-nef-ros, -ruhs ]

noun,plural pro·neph·roi [proh-nef-roi], /proʊˈnɛf rɔɪ/, pro·neph·ra [proh-nef-ruh]. /proʊˈnɛf rə/. Embryology.
  1. one of the three embryonic excretory organs of vertebrates, which becomes the functional kidney of certain primitive fishes.

Origin of pronephros

1
1875–80; <New Latin <Greek pro-pro-2 + nephrós kidney

Other words from pronephros

  • pro·neph·ric [proh-nef-rik], /proʊˈnɛf rɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby pronephros

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

How to use pronephros in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pronephros

pronephros

/ (prəʊˈnɛfrɒs) /


nounplural -roi (-rɔɪ) or -ra (-rə)
  1. the first-formed anterior part of the embryonic kidney in vertebrates, which remains functional in the larvae of the lower vertebrates: See also mesonephros, metanephros

Origin of pronephros

1
C19: New Latin, from pro- ² + Greek nephros kidney

Derived forms of pronephros

  • pronephric, adjective

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