protospore
/ˈprəʊtə(ʊ)spɔː/noun
1 Mycology. Originally: an early stage in fungal spore development believed to be analogous to the prothallus in ferns. In later use: specifically a uninucleate segment formed by the cleavage of a multinucleate mass of cytoplasm from which the spore or sporangium develops.
2 Biology. In a slime mould: a uninucleate segment of a multinucleate fruiting body from which the spore develops.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Mordecai Cooke (1825–1914), naturalist and mycologist. From proto- + spore.
- the long (or strong) arm of the law
- the long/short/medium term
- Thelon River
- the Lords
- the Lord's Day
- the Lord's Prayer
- the Lord's Supper
- (the love of) money is the root of all evil
- the love that dare not speak its name
- the Lower House
- the lowest of the low
- the Lowlands
- the luck of the draw
- the lull before the storm
- the lull (or calm) before the storm
- them
- the Mafia
- the Magdalen
- the Magdalene
- the mailed fist
- the mails
- the Malverns
- the Man
- the Man in (also with) the Iron Mask
- the man in black