ascospore
|as-co-spore|
🇺🇸
/ˈæskəˌspɔr/
🇬🇧
/ˈæskəspɔː/
spore formed in an ascus
Etymology
'ascospore' originates from New Latin (scientific coinage), specifically from the combining form 'ascus' from Greek 'askos' meaning 'bag' and 'spore' from Greek 'spora' meaning 'seed' or 'sowing'.
'ascospore' was formed in modern scientific usage by combining 'ascus' (from New Latin/Greek) and 'spore' (from Greek 'spora'), becoming established in English botanical and mycological terminology in the 19th–20th centuries.
Initially coined to denote 'a spore of or from an ascus,' the term has retained this specialized mycological meaning in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a spore produced inside an ascus (a sac-like structure) during the sexual reproduction of fungi in the phylum Ascomycota.
During the spring, many ascomycete fungi release microscopic ascospores that disperse through the air.
Last updated: 2025/10/27 05:38