embryo
noun
em·bryo ˈem-brē-ˌō 
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 period
Henry Hewes
Henry Hewes
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web In one passage, recommendations for a form of tracing paper included paper rubbed with linseed oil or pork fat, the amniotic membrane of a cow’s embryo, or the pericardium of an ox. Anthony Grafton, The New York Review of Books, 7 Sep. 2022 Scientists stress that growing a baby from a synthetic human embryo is neither possible nor under consideration. Laura Ungar, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Aug. 2022 Durrant added that Livia is now among the female rhinos at the rhino center who could potentially serve as a surrogate mother to a northern white rhino embryo. Kyla Guilfoil, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2022 The Georgia Department of Revenue now classifies any embryo or fetus with cardiac activity as a dependent for whom the parent can claim $3,000 in personal tax exemptions per child. Laura Smythe, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022 Because under a personhood law that embryo would have the exact same legal rights as any other human being. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 4 July 2022 But little is known about one growing segment of that market: egg, sperm and embryo donation. Naomi Cahn, The Conversation, 3 May 2022 That means doctors or nurses who treat an ectopic pregnancy — which always involves using medication or surgery to remove the embryo, hopefully before other organs are damaged — could face criminal charges if a prosecutor decided to file them. CBS News, 22 Aug. 2022 The Ohio state legislature considered a bill in 2019, for example, that mandated an ectopic pregnancy be treated by reimplanting the embryo into the uterus, despite such a procedure being medically impossible. Wired, 11 Aug. 2022 See More
Anthony Grafton, The New York Review of Books, 7 Sep. 2022 Scientists stress that growing a baby from a synthetic human embryo is neither possible nor under consideration. Laura Ungar, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Aug. 2022 Durrant added that Livia is now among the female rhinos at the rhino center who could potentially serve as a surrogate mother to a northern white rhino embryo. Kyla Guilfoil, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2022 The Georgia Department of Revenue now classifies any embryo or fetus with cardiac activity as a dependent for whom the parent can claim $3,000 in personal tax exemptions per child. Laura Smythe, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022 Because under a personhood law that embryo would have the exact same legal rights as any other human being. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 4 July 2022 But little is known about one growing segment of that market: egg, sperm and embryo donation. Naomi Cahn, The Conversation, 3 May 2022 That means doctors or nurses who treat an ectopic pregnancy — which always involves using medication or surgery to remove the embryo, hopefully before other organs are damaged — could face criminal charges if a prosecutor decided to file them. CBS News, 22 Aug. 2022 The Ohio state legislature considered a bill in 2019, for example, that mandated an ectopic pregnancy be treated by reimplanting the embryo into the uterus, despite such a procedure being medically impossible. Wired, 11 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Medieval Latin embryon-, embryo, from Greek embryon, from en- + bryein to swell; akin to Greek bryon catkin
First Known Use
1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1b
Phrases Containing embryo
Kids Definition
embryo
noun
em·bryo ˈem-brē-ˌō
plural embryos
1
: an unborn human or animal in the earliest stages of growth when its basic structures are being formed
2
: a tiny young plant inside a seed
Medical Definition
embryo
noun
em·bryo ˈem-brē-ˌō
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