What does epididymides mean?
Epididymides is the plural of epididymis, the name given to either of the two long, tightly coiled tubes that sit along the back of each testicle in male reproductive anatomy. Within these convoluted ducts, sperm released from the testicles undergo maturation, gaining the ability to swim and fertilize, and are stored until they are propelled onward during ejaculation. The term appears almost entirely in medical, anatomical, and veterinary contexts — in discussions of infection, ultrasound findings, or fertility assessment — and would rarely surface in everyday conversation. It follows a Greek-style irregular plural pattern, so writers discussing both organs at once should use epididymides rather than adding an English -es ending to the singular form.
noun (plural)The plural of epididymis: a pair of coiled tubes, one attached to each testicle, in which sperm mature and are stored before ejaculation.
- Anatomy — the pair of tightly coiled ducts on the posterior surface of each testicle, where sperm mature and are stored prior to ejaculation.
"The ultrasound revealed cysts on both epididymides."
"Inflammation of the epididymides is most often caused by bacterial infection."
"Sperm spend several weeks maturing within the convoluted passages of the epididymides."
This word is itself a plural form; it takes a plural verb. The singular is epididymis, which forms its plural according to the Greek pattern (-is → -ides), not by adding English -es.
"Both epididymides appeared normal on imaging."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of epididymides
Epididymides derives from New Latin epididymis, itself borrowed from the Greek epi- ('upon' or 'on') combined with didymos ('double' or 'twin'), a reference to the paired structure of the male reproductive ducts. The word entered European anatomical vocabulary during the Renaissance revival of systematic human anatomy, when Greek terms were widely coined or revived for newly described structures. The plural preserves the original Greek declension, replacing the singular -is with -ides.
Related word forms
How epididymides is actually used
Strictly anatomical and medical in register, appearing almost exclusively in clinical, veterinary, and scientific writing. It is an irregular Greek-style plural; the singular epididymis is far more frequent, since discussion usually concerns one side at a time.
Easily confused with epididymides
Epididymis is the singular form referring to one of the two ducts, while epididymides refers to both.