ovum

[ oh-vuhm ]

noun

, plural o·va [oh, -v, uh].

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.

ovum

/ ˈəʊvəm /

noun

1. an unfertilized female gamete; egg cell

Word History and Origins

Origin of ovum¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ovum¹

from Latin: egg

Example Sentences

A religious counter argument asserts that, at the very moment that sperm meets ova, a child of God comes into being.

From Seattle Times

Thus the obsession with Taylor Swift's ova count.

From Salon

The Alabama court held last week that fertilized ova cryogenically preserved for couples having difficulty conceiving are legally and morally equivalent to newborn babies and, for that matter, 20-year-old adults.

From Los Angeles Times

Montgomery said what proponents are seeking would mean that men who have “taken testosterone for years and have developed full beards” would be required to use women’s restrooms because their bodies once produced ova.

From Seattle Times

The law defines a female as having XX chromosomes, and a reproductive and endocrine system that produces or would produce ova, or eggs.

From Seattle Times