zygote

American  

[zahy-goht, zig-oht] / ˈzaɪ goʊt, ˈzɪg oʊt /

noun

Biology.

1. the cell produced by the union of two gametes, before it undergoes cleavage.

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zygote British  

/ ˈzɪɡ-, zɪ-, ˈzaɪɡəʊt, zaɪˈɡɒtɪk /

noun

1. the cell resulting from the union of an ovum and a spermatozoon

2. the organism that develops from such a cell

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zygote Scientific  

/ zī′gōt′ /

1. The cell formed by the union of the nuclei of two reproductive cells (gametes), especially a fertilized egg cell.

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zygote Cultural  

1. The single cell that results from fertilization of an ovum by a sperm. After dividing several times, it implants in the uterus. It continues to divide, producing more cells and passing through the stages of embryo and fetus.

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Other Word Forms

• zygotic adjective
• zygotically adverb

Etymology

Origin of zygote

1885–90; < Greek zygōtós yoked, equivalent to zygō-, variant stem of zygoûn to yoke, join together (derivative of zygón yoke ¹ ) + -tos adj. suffix

Compare meaning

How does zygote compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• gamete vs. zygote

Example Sentences

Hell, social media as we know it was a zygote.

From Salon

Since Rachel and Alvy only ever feel like constructs, not characters, it’s predictable that their attitudes would reverse once their zygote is encased in egg-shaped plastic.

From Los Angeles Times

Yes, all the zygote seems to get by way of instruction is a genome, but you will look there in vain for any blueprint for a heart or brain.

From Scientific American

The word ‘fetus’ refers to a specific gestational stage of development, as opposed to the zygote, blastocyst, or embryo stages.

From Washington Post

Mostly, this is because I know how damaging abortion can be for many women, not all, especially once they have a baby and realize that he or she was once also a mere zygote.

From Washington Post