embryo

1 of 2

noun

em·​bryo ˈem-brē-ˌō How to pronounce embryo (audio)
plural embryos
1
a
: an animal in the early stages of growth and differentiation that are characterized by cleavage, the laying down of fundamental tissues, and the formation of primitive organs and organ systems
especially : the developing human individual from the time of implantation to the end of the eighth week after conception
b
archaic : a vertebrate at any stage of development prior to birth or hatching
2
: the young sporophyte of a seed plant usually comprising a rudimentary plant with plumule, radicle, and cotyledons
3
a
: something as yet undeveloped
b
: a beginning or undeveloped state of something
productions seen in embryo during their out-of-town tryout periodHenry Hewes

embryo-

2 of 2

combining form

: embryo
embryogeny

Examples of embryo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Similarly, leaders should check if the providers that handle embryo transportation have suspended service in the wake of new legislation. Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024 In the aftermath, some of the state’s clinics stopped all IVF treatments; others halted just the practice of discarding unused embryos. Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 An Axios-Ipsos poll conducted in February found that 66% of Americans oppose designating embryos as people and holding those who destroy them legally responsible. Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 Is the person or the people who those embryos belong to charged? Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 The process involves fertilizing eggs with sperm in a lab to create embryos; at least one is then transferred to a patient’s uterus. Meg Tirrell, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 Given the current politics around women’s bodies—a recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling granted frozen embryos the same rights as children, meaning people could be held liable for destroying them—some of the most extreme examples of this trend have inspired due criticism from journalists. Glamour, 1 Mar. 2024 The recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that frozen embryos can be considered children, halting IVF treatments in the state, is a clear example of why races for state supreme courts will be among the most expensive and hotly contested this year. Christine Fernando, The Denver Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Recently, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled frozen embryos have the same legal protections as people. Lisa Hagen, NPR, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'embryo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English embrioun "embryo, fetus," borrowed from Medieval Latin embrion-, embrio, embryo, borrowed from Greek émbryon "newborn creature (in reference to a lamb), young, embryo or fetus," from em- em- + -bryon, derivative of bry-, stem of brýein "to swell with an abundance of growth, bloom, abound," of obscure origin

Note: In Medieval Latin the Greek neuter noun émbryon was reanalyzed as the base of Latin nasal stems (such as sermōn-, sermō "speech"), resulting in the nominative singular form embryo, which was borrowed into English. The stem embryon- was employed in New Latin derivatives, the sources of embryonal and embryonic. Compare bryo-.

Combining form

Late Latin, from Greek, from embryon

First Known Use

Noun

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of embryo was in 1548

Dictionary Entries Near embryo

Cite this Entry

“Embryo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embryo. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

embryo

noun
em·​bryo ˈem-brē-ˌō How to pronounce embryo (audio)
plural embryos
1
: an animal in the early stages of development that are marked by cleavage, the laying down of the basic tissues, and the formation of primitive organs and organ systems compare fetus
2
: a tiny young plant within a seed
3
: a beginning or undeveloped stage
used especially in the phrase in embryo

Medical Definition

embryo

noun
em·​bryo ˈem-brē-ˌō How to pronounce embryo (audio)
plural embryos
1
archaic : a vertebrate at any stage of development prior to birth or hatching
2
: an animal in the early stages of growth and differentiation that are characterized by cleavage, the laying down of fundamental tissues, and the formation of primitive organs and organ systems
especially : the developing human individual from the time of implantation to the end of the eighth week after conception compare fetus

More from Merriam-Webster on embryo

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