spermo-

1. a combining form of sperm ¹, used also with the meaning “seed,” “germ,” “semen,” in the formation of compound words:

   spermophyte.

Example Sentences

There was a story that Anius, the King of the Isle of Delos, had three daughters, named Œno, Spermo, and Elais, and that Œno could turn water into wine, while Spermo could turn stones into bread, and Elais could change mud into olive oil.

From Project Gutenberg

There was a story that Anius, the King of the Isle of Delos, had three daughters, named Œno, Spermo, and Elais, and that Œno could turn water into wine, while Spermo could turn stones into bread, and Elais could change mud into olive oil. 

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use Spermo-

What does spermo- mean?

Spermo- is a combining form used like a prefix representing “sperm.” Sperm are the reproductive cells contained in semen. Spermo- means “sperm” both literally and figuratively, as in “germ” or “seed.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology.

Spermo- comes from the Greek spérma, meaning “seed.”

What are variants of spermo-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, spermo- becomes sperm-, as in spermous.

The forms spermi- and spermato- 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 spermo-

One example of a scientific term that features the combining form spermo- is spermophile, “any of various burrowing rodents of the squirrel family.”

One of the various meanings of spermo- is “seed,” while the combining form -phile means “lover of” or “enthusiast for.” Spermophile literally translates to “lover of seeds,” an accurate description of acorn-burying squirrels.

What are some words that use the combining form spermo-?

• spermogonium (from the equivalent form of spermo- in Latin)
• spermolith
• spermophyte (from the equivalent form of spermo- in Latin)
• spermotoxic
• spermotoxin

What are some other forms that spermo- may be commonly confused with?

• spheno-
• spor-
• sporo-

Break it down!

A synonym for toxin is “poison.” With this in mind, what bodily substance does a spermotoxin poison?