What does ovum mean?
An ovum is the female reproductive cell, commonly called an egg cell, produced by an animal’s reproductive system. It is distinguished from a general food egg by its biological precision: the ovum is the cell involved in reproduction, and in humans and many other animals it can be fertilized by a sperm to begin development. The term is especially common in reproductive medicine, embryology, and cell biology, where precision matters. An ovum contains a complete set of maternal chromosomes and, together with a sperm, contributes the genetic material of the resulting embryo. In more general biological descriptions, “ovum” can also refer to an egg or the earliest developmental stage of an organism. For everyday speech, “egg” is usually the natural choice, while “ovum” signals a technical or scientific context.
nounThe female reproductive cell, or egg, of an animal, especially the cell that can be fertilized by a sperm. The term is especially used in biology, embryology, and reproductive medicine.
- The female reproductive cell of an animal, especially a human or other mammal, that may be fertilized by a sperm.
- In general biological usage, an egg or the earliest stage of an organism's development.
"The fertilized ovum develops into an embryo."
"The ovum was fertilized during the procedure and then implanted in the patient’s uterus."
"In early embryonic development, the single ovum divides rapidly to form a ball of cells."
The standard plural of ovum is ova, used especially in biological and medical writing.
"Several ova were examined during the fertility assessment."
An ovum is just one cell, but it contains the genetic material that can begin a new organism.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ovum come from?
The English word comes from Latin ōvum, meaning “egg.” Latin ōvum is related to Greek ᾠόν (ōión), “egg,” and gave rise to English scientific terms such as ovule, ovary, and oviparous. The specialized meaning of a reproductive cell developed through its use in biological and medical writing.
How ovum is actually used
Technically precise and formal. In general biological usage, it is more specific than the everyday word "egg" and is especially common in reproductive biology and embryology.
Easily confused with ovum
An ovum is the reproductive cell itself, whereas an ovule is the structure in a plant that contains the egg cell.