Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

spermatozoon en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˌspɜːmətə(ʊ)ˈzəʊɒn/ (UK)
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Ancient Greek σπέρμα (spérma, “sperm”) + ζῷον (zōîon, “living thing”), equivalent to spermato- + -zoon.

Meanings

  1. A reproductive cell or gamete of a male, carried in semen, that fertilizes an ovum to produce a zygote.
    • But let us suppose [...] that one hardy or lucky spermatozoon has reached the waiting egg. 2019, Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Black Swan (2020), page 339:
    • A sperm, or spermatozoa, is the microscopic male reproductive cell. Sperms are made up of oval-shaped heads and long tails that they use for mobility. 2024 June 11, Dr. Steve Chapman, “Is swallowing semen good for you?”, in Better2Know:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
spermatozoön alternative lexicographic
spermatozoa Number=Plur lexicographic
spermatozoan alternative lexicographic

Coordinates

ovum

Deriveds

spermatozoal · spermatozoic

Hypernyms

gamete

Synonyms

sperm cell · zoosperm

Translations (50)

sv spermie (reproductive cell of the male) · az spermatozoid (reproductive cell of the male) · ru сперматозо́ид (reproductive cell of the male) · ko 정자 (reproductive cell of the male) · mk сперматозои́д (reproductive cell of the male) · de Spermium (reproductive cell of the male) · sv spermatozo (reproductive cell of the male) · is sáð (reproductive cell of the male) · bg сперматозои́д (reproductive cell of the male) · sv sädescell (reproductive cell of the male) · ro spermatozoid (reproductive cell of the male) · it spermatozoo (reproductive cell of the male) · uz spermatozoid (reproductive cell of the male) · nb sædcelle (reproductive cell of the male) · fr spermatozoaire (reproductive cell of the male) · lt spermatozoidas (reproductive cell of the male) · hi शुक्राणु (reproductive cell of the male) · da spermatozo (reproductive cell of the male) · cmn 精子 (reproductive cell of the male) · pl spermatozoid (reproductive cell of the male) · hy սերմնաբջիջ (reproductive cell of the male) · pl plemnik (reproductive cell of the male) · fi siittiö (reproductive cell of the male) · mi tao tātea (reproductive cell of the male) · hy սպերմատոզոիդ (reproductive cell of the male) · da sædcelle (reproductive cell of the male) · es espermatozoide (reproductive cell of the male) · hu ondósejt (reproductive cell of the male) · de Samenzelle (reproductive cell of the male) · vi tinh trùng (reproductive cell of the male) · sk spermia (reproductive cell of the male) · is sáðfruma (reproductive cell of the male) · uk сперматозо́їд (reproductive cell of the male) · nb spermie (reproductive cell of the male) · fa-ira اسپرماتوزئید (reproductive cell of the male) · is sæðisfruma (reproductive cell of the male) · ja 精子 (reproductive cell of the male) · scn spirmatuzzuu (reproductive cell of the male) · hu hímivarsejt (reproductive cell of the male) · nn sædcelle (reproductive cell of the male) · nn spermie (reproductive cell of the male) · fr spermatozoïde (reproductive cell of the male) · eo spermatozoo (reproductive cell of the male) · pt espermatozoide (reproductive cell of the male) · el σπερματοζωάριο (reproductive cell of the male) · ca espermatozoide (reproductive cell of the male) · hu spermium (reproductive cell of the male) · nl spermatozoön (reproductive cell of the male) · gd cealla-sìl (reproductive cell of the male) · ga speirmiteasón (reproductive cell of the male)