spermatheca

[ spur-muh-thee-kuh ]

noun

, Zoology.

, plural sper·ma·the·cae [spur-m, uh, -, thee, -see].

1. a small sac or cavity in female or hermaphroditic invertebrates used to store sperm for fertilizing eggs, as in the queen bee.

spermatheca

/ ˌspɜːməˈθiːkə /

noun

1. a sac or cavity within the body of many female invertebrates, esp insects, used for storing spermatozoa before fertilization takes place

spermatheca

/ spûr′mə-thē′kə /

, Plural spermathecae spûr′mə-thē′sē

1. A receptacle in the reproductive tracts of certain female invertebrates, especially insects, in which spermatozoa are received and stored until needed to fertilize the ova.

Derived Forms

• ˌspermaˈthecal, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of spermatheca¹

1820–30; sperma- (variant of spermato-, spermo- ) + theca

Word History and Origins

Origin of spermatheca¹

C19: see sperm ¹, theca