viviparous

adjective

vi·​vip·​a·​rous vī-ˈvi-p(ə-)rəs How to pronounce viviparous (audio) və- How to pronounce viviparous (audio)
1
: producing living young instead of eggs from within the body in the manner of nearly all mammals, many reptiles, and a few fishes
2
: germinating while still attached to the parent plant
the viviparous seed of the mangrove
viviparously adverb

Examples of viviparous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web All birds are oviparous, but some reptiles are viviparous, or give birth to live young. USA TODAY, 30 May 2023 To this day, the island has only a single native terrestrial reptile: the common or viviparous lizard, which must have arrived sometime in the past 10,000 years, following the end of the ice age. Marisa Sloan, Discover Magazine, 9 Mar. 2023 Or maybe the fossil of a viviparous archosaur is somewhere out there, just waiting to be found. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2017 Obviously that's different than in viviparous Dinocephalosaurus. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2017 Another fun fact: a number of fossils of pregnant ichthyosaurs have turned up, documenting that the animals were viviparous, giving birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 9 Apr. 2018 Mammals are characterized by their milk glands, hair, vertebrae and their birthing of live young (being viviparous), according to Britannica. Liam Gravvat, USA TODAY, 25 Nov. 2022 There are even some viviparous moms that get creative with feeding their young during pregnancy. Jake Buehler, National Geographic, 8 June 2020 That may be why cold regions host a higher proportion of viviparous species than warmer locations. Jake Buehler, National Geographic, 8 June 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'viviparous.' 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

Latin viviparus, from vivus alive + -parus -parous

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of viviparous was in 1646

Dictionary Entries Near viviparous

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

viviparous

adjective
vi·​vip·​a·​rous vī-ˈvip-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce viviparous (audio)
və-
: giving birth to living young from within the body rather than laying eggs
nearly all mammals and some reptiles are viviparous

Medical Definition

viviparous

adjective
vi·​vip·​a·​rous vī-ˈvip-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce viviparous (audio) və- How to pronounce viviparous (audio)
: producing living young instead of eggs from within the body in the manner of nearly all mammals, many reptiles, and a few fishes compare larviparous, oviparous, ovoviviparous
viviparously adverb
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