Advertisement
Advertisement
spermato-
- a combining form meaning “seed”; used with this meaning and as a combining form of sperm 1 in the formation of compound words:
spermatogonium.
spermato-
combining_form
- indicating sperm
spermatogenesis
- indicating seed
spermatophyte
Word History and Origins
Origin of spermato-1
Word History and Origins
Origin of spermato-1
Advertisement
Words That Use Spermato-
What does spermato- mean?
Spermato- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “seed” and “sperm.” Sperm are the reproductive cells contained in semen. Spermato- is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology in reference to the reproductive cycles of plants and animals.
Spermato- comes from the Greek spérma, meaning “sperm.”
What are variants of spermato-?
When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, spermato- becomes spermat-, as in spermaturia.
The forms sperm-, spermi-, and spermo- are also combining forms from Greek spérma that are variously used to mean “sperm” or “seed.”
Related combining forms used as suffixes include -sperm, -spermal, -spermic, and -spermous.
Want to learn more? Check out our Words That Use entries for each of these seven forms.
Examples of spermato-
An example of a scientific term you may have encountered that features spermato- is spermatozoon (plural, spermatozoa), “one of the minute, usually actively motile gametes in semen, which serve to fertilize the ovum.”
The form spermato- means “sperm,” as we know. The -zoon portion of the word means “organism,” from Greek zôion, and spermatozoon literally translates to “sperm organism.”
What are some words that use the combining form spermato-?
What are some other forms that spermato- may be commonly confused with?
Break it down!
The combining form -cyte means “cell.” With this in mind, what does spermatocyte mean in everyday language?
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse