oosphere

See also: oosphère and oösphere

English

WOTD – 20 July 2024

Etymology

PIE word
*h₂ōwyóm
A micrograph of an oogonium of a brown alga (genus Fucus), with a number of oospheres (one marked A) inside.
A drawing of the oogonium of a fungus showing oospheres inside it.

From oo- (prefix denoting something relating to eggs or ova) +‎ sphere, modelled after French oosphère.[1][2]

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈəʊəsfɪə/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈoʊoʊˌsfɪ(ə)ɹ/
  • Hyphenation: oo‧sphere

Noun

oosphere (plural oospheres)

  1. (botany, mycology) A large nonmotile egg cell, especially of an alga or fungus, formed in an oogonium and ready for fertilization.
    Synonym: ooplast

Alternative forms

Translations

References

  1. ^ “oosphere, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2023.
  2. ^ “oosphere, n.”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

Further reading

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