Dictionary

embryo en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈɛmbɹi.əʊ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈɛmbɹi.oʊ/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin embryō, from Ancient Greek ἔμβρυον (émbruon, “fetus”), from ἐν (en, “in-”) + βρύω (brúō, “to grow, swell”).

Meanings

1. In the reproductive cycle, the stage after the fertilization of the egg that precedes the development into a fetus.
   • Though scientists do not know how stress affects gestation, Fukuda theorizes that the vulnerability of Y-bearing sperm cells, male embryos and/or male fetuses to stress is why “subtle significant changes in sex ratios” occur. 2019 January 23, Susan Scutti, “Climate change will affect gender ratio among newborns, scientists say”, in CNN:
   • SE onset depends on a complex network of interactions among plant growth regulators, mainly auxins and cytokinins, during the proembryogenic early stages, and ethylene and gibberellic and abscisic acids later in the development of somatic embryos. 2015 August 18, Clelia De-la-Peña et al., “The role of chromatin modifications in somatic embryogenesis in plants”, in Frontiers in Plant Science, volume 6, →DOI:
   • They include cells that would typically go on to develop a yolk sac, a placenta and the embryo itself. 2023 June 14, Brenda Goodman, “Scientists report creation of first human synthetic model embryos”, in CNN:
   • In situ hybridisations were performed on devitellinised embryos still wrapped around the yolk and on embryos with the yolk dissected away. 2015 December 4, “Divergent RNA Localisation Patterns of Maternal Genes Regulating Embryonic Patterning in the Butterfly Pararge aegeria”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI:
2. An organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis.
3. In a viviparous animal, the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body.
4. In a human, usually the cell growth of the child within the mother's body, through the end of the seventh week of pregnancy.
5. A rudimentary plant contained in the seed.
6. (figuratively) The beginning; the first stage of anything.
   • […]while the Company little ſuſpected what a noble Work I had then in Embryo […] 1731 (date written), Simon Wagstaff [pseudonym; Jonathan Swift], “An Introduction to the Following Treatise”, in A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation, […], London: […] B[enjamin] Motte […], published 1738, →OCLC, page lxxviii:
   • it dives into the heart of the observed, and there espies evil, as it were, in the first embryo […] 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:
   • Lord Lufton, with his barony and twenty thousand a year, might be accepted as just good enough; but failing him there was an embryo marquis, whose fortune would be more than ten times as great, all ready to accept his child! 1860 January – 1861 April, Anthony Trollope, Framley Parsonage. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], published April 1861, →OCLC:

Forms

Coordinates

zygote · foetus · fetus

Deriveds

embryoism · embryoscopy · postembryo · embryophytic · embryogenesis · embaby · pseudembryo · embryogony · embryoniferous · proembryo · embryo sac · monembryony · embryoless · typembryo · embryony · dysembryoma · embryogenic · embryonic · embryotropic · embryogenetic · embryology · embryotoxicity · embryolike · embryography · embryocidal · embryocardia · embryotrophic · embryectomy · interembryo · pre-embryo · embryoid · embryokine · embryonical · embryoscope · embryonal · embryopathy · in embryo · hybrid embryo · embryoma · embryous · eleutheroembryo · coconut embryo · embryopathic · embryo transfer · embryostatic · embryotoxic · embryoplastic · xenoembryo · embryonary · polyembryo · embryotomy · embryostasis

Translations (154)

sv embryo (in viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body) · he עֻבָּר \ עובר (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · sh ȅmbrio (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · sa गर्भ (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · vi phôi thai (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ru эмбрио́н (an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis) · pl zarodek (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · th เอ็มบริโอ (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ms mudghah (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · sv embryo (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · sl zarodek (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · pt embrião (in humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body) · tr embriyo (an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis) · pt embrião (in viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body) · vo brüom (in humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body) · km ភ្រូណ (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ru заро́дыш (an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis) · pt embrião (an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis) · bg ембрио́н (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · nb kime (botany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed) · sh е̏мбрио̄н (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ko 태아 (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · mk ембрио́н (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · hy սաղմ (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · km ជីវាណូ (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · es embrión (in humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body) · vo brüom (an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis) · nb embryo (botany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed) · sa भ्रूण (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · el έμβρυο (in viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body) · bg ембрио́н (an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis) · fi alkio (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · tr embriyo (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · hu ébrény (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · nl embryo (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · es embrión (in viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body) · grc ἔμβρυον (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · vo brüom (in viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body) · cmn 胚胎 (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · da embryon (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · pl embrion (in humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body) · mi kikiri (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · uk заро́док (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · lv embrijs (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · uz embrion (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ko 태아 (in viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body) · tr cenin (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · nn kime (botany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed) · kk ұрық (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · sh ȅmbriōn (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · cs embryo (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · grc ἔμβρυον (an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis) · es embrión (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ms embrio (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ja 胚 (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · my သန္ဓေသား (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · tk şine (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · kmr cenîn (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · nn embryo (botany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed) · ky эмбрион (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · eo embrio (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · bg заро́диш (in humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body) · grc κύημα (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · pl embrion (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ur جنین (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · hi भ्रूण (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · be заро́дак (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ug ھامىلە (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · km គភ៌ (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · tl bilig (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · sh zàmetak (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · nn embryo (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · id embrio (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · is fósturvísir (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · fi alkio (botany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed) · tg ҷанин (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · hu embrió (botany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed) · bg начална фаза (the beginning; the first stage of anything) · ru заро́дыш (in humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body) · cmn 胎 (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ca embrió (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · fi alkio (in viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body) · my သားလောင်း (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · pt embrião (the beginning; the first stage of anything) · km ភ្រូណា (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · az rüşeym (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · fi alku (the beginning; the first stage of anything) · be эмбрыён (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · fr embryon (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ms janin (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · km ពីជៈ (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · de Embryo (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · uz homila (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ru заро́дыш (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · sh е̏мбрио (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · lo ຈາວ (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · pl zalążek (the beginning; the first stage of anything) · bg заро́диш (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ru эмбрио́н (in humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body) · sk embryo (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ja 胎児 (in viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body) · az embrion (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · el έμβρυο (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ru заро́дыш (in viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body) · hu magzat (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · hu embrió (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ar جَنِين (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · lo ຄັບພະລູກ (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · lt gamalas (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · bn ভ্রুণ (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · hu csíra (the beginning; the first stage of anything) · grc κύημα (an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis) · it embrione (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · yue 胚胎 (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · pt embrião (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ru эмбрио́н (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · uk ембріо́н (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · sh за̀метак (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · nb embryo (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · vo brüom (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · et embrüo (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · es embrión (botany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed) · ko 배 (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · pl zarodek (in humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body) · el έμβρυο (in humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body) · id janin (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ka ემბრიონი (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · vi phôi (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ru заро́дыш (botany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed) · nl kiemplant (botany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed) · ko 배아 (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ru эмбрио́н (in viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body) · mn үр хөврөл (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ro embrion (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · cs zárodek (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · fi alkio (in humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body) · sv embryo (an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis) · ps جنين (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · ky түйүлдүк (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · sk zárodok (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · sq embrion (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · es embrión (an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis) · uk заро́док (an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis) · pl zaczątek (the beginning; the first stage of anything) · lo ພັນ (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · fa جنین (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · lt embrionas (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · fa رویان (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · uk ембріо́н (an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis) · pt embrião (botany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed) · ka ნაყოფი (fertilized egg before developing into a fetus) · fi alkio (an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis) · hu csíra (botany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed) · el έμβρυο (an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis)