spermatophore

[ spur-mat-uh-fawr, -fohr, spur-muh-tuh- ]

noun

, Zoology.

1. a capsule surrounding a mass of spermatozoa, produced by the male of various animal species and transferred to the female.

spermatophore

/ ˈspɜːmətəʊˌfɔː; ˌspɜːməˈtɒfərəl /

noun

1. a capsule of spermatozoa extruded by some molluscs, crustaceans, annelids, and amphibians

spermatophore

/ spər-măt′ə-fôr′ /

1. A capsule or compact mass of spermatozoa extruded by the males of certain invertebrates and primitive vertebrates and directly transferred to the reproductive parts of the female.

Derived Forms

• spermatophoral, adjective

Other Words From

• sper·ma·toph·or·al [spur-m, uh, -, tof, -er-, uh, l], sper·ma·toph·o·rous [spur-m, uh, -, tof, -er-, uh, s], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of spermatophore¹

First recorded in 1840–50; spermato- + -phore

Example Sentences

If the female is receptive, the male deposits a spermatophore, or a packet of genetic material, on the bottom of the pond.

From Washington Times

What Wegener is now working on is the possibility that the males are taking advantage of any opportunity to rid themselves of lower quality spermatophores, which would help to explain why they deposit the majority of their spermatophore stores with each sexual encounter, regardless of how much of it is likely to be eaten by his mate.

From Scientific American

But the researchers also found that this preference for larger females didn’t influence the males to impart any less of their spermatophore stores to the smaller, ‘hungrier’ females, and this suggested that by eating spermatophores, the smaller females might be able to produce higher numbers of healthier offspring than they could otherwise manage.

From Scientific American

What Wegener is now working on is the possibility that the males are taking advantage of any opportunity to rid themselves of lower quality spermatophores, which would explain why they deposit the majority of their spermatophore stores with each sexual encounter, regardless of how much of it is likely to be eaten by his mate.

From Scientific American

But the researchers also found that this preference for larger females didn’t influence the males to impart any less than the usual 60% or so of their spermatophore stores to the smaller, ‘hungrier’ females, and this suggested that by eating spermatophores, the smaller females were able to produce higher numbers of healthier offspring than they could otherwise manage.

From Scientific American