spermatheca

[ spur-muh-thee-kuh ]

noun,plural sper·ma·the·cae

[spur-muh-thee-see]. /ˌspɜr məˈθi si/. Zoology.

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

Origin of spermatheca

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

Words Nearby spermatheca

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British Dictionary definitions for spermatheca

spermatheca

/ (ˌspɜːməˈθiːkə) /

noun

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

Origin of spermatheca

C19: see sperm 1, theca

Derived forms of spermatheca

spermathecal, 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

Scientific definitions for spermatheca

spermatheca

[ spûr′mə-thē′kə ]

Plural spermathecae (spûr′mə-thē′sē)

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.

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