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Synonyms

semen

American  
[see-muhn] / ˈsi mən /

noun

  1. the viscid, whitish fluid produced in the male reproductive organs, containing spermatozoa.

semen British  
/ ˈsiːmɛn /

noun

  1. the thick whitish fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated from the male genital tract

  2. another name for sperm 1

"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
semen Scientific  
/ sē′mən /

  1. A thick, whitish fluid that is produced during ejaculation by male mammals and carries sperm cells.

semen Cultural  

  1. The sticky white fluid produced in the male reproductive system that carries sperm.

Etymology

Origin of semen

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin sēmen “seed”; akin to serere “to sow” ( sow 1 )

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.

However, breeding laws in Japan are less strict and activists believe marine zoo managers there may be interested in purchasing orca semen after the country's only male orca, Earth, died on 3 August.

From BBC • Aug. 23, 2025

Greene adds: "Keijo is inbred, so it's even more concerning that his semen might be used for breeding of captive orcas."

From BBC • Aug. 23, 2025

The anti-aging beauty treatment involves injecting a DNA component extracted from salmon semen into the skin to stimulate new collagen production and achieve a more hydrated, plump look.

From Salon • Jan. 25, 2025

The tiny particles have been detected in every ecosystem on the planet that has been surveyed, as well as nearly every living organism examined — including the brain, heart, lungs, blood and semen of humans.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2024

Aristotle challenged Pythagoras’s “traveling library” notion that semen collected hereditary information by coursing through the body and obtaining secret “instructions” from each individual part.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.