ovum

American  

[oh-vuhm] / ˈoʊ vəm /

noun

plural

ova

1. Cell Biology.

   1. the female reproductive cell or gamete of animals, which is capable of developing, usually only after fertilization, into a new individual.

   2. the female reproductive cell or gamete of plants.

2. Architecture. an oval ornament, as in an egg-and-dart molding.

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ovum British  

/ ˈəʊvəm /

noun

1. an unfertilized female gamete; egg cell

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Etymology

Origin of ovum

First recorded in 1700–10; from Latin ōvum egg ¹; cognate with Greek ōión

Compare meaning

How does ovum compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• oocyte vs. ovum

Example Sentences

Just as the human being emerges from the fertilized ovum, the creation of the possible is a natural gift and phenomenon we have been given as human beings.

From Salon • Jan. 20, 2025

The Oklahoma measure defines fertilisation as the "fusion of a human spermatozoon with a human ovum".

From BBC • May 19, 2022

Let us take a ride, For truly, sir, thy life is incomplete ’Til viridescent ovum thou hast tried Together with a slice of glaucous meat!

From Washington Post • May 16, 2019

When a sperm and ovum combine during fertilization, the result is a single cell with a full set of genes, called the zygote.

From Slate • Sep. 18, 2018

Lanning considered, “If you had all your equipment—the brain, the skeleton, the ovum, the proper hormones and radiations—say, two months.”

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov