embryology
|em-bri-ol-o-gy|
🇺🇸
/ˌɛm.briˈɑː.lə.dʒi/
🇬🇧
/ˌɛm.briˈɒl.ə.dʒi/
study of embryos
Etymology
'embryology' originates from Greek and New Latin: Greek 'embryon' (ἐμβρύον) meaning 'young' or 'that which is growing' combined with New Latin/Greek suffix '-logia' meaning 'study' or 'discourse'.
'embryon' passed into Medieval/Modern Latin as 'embryon' or 'embryo' and with the suffix '-logia' formed New Latin 'embryologia', which was borrowed into English as 'embryology' in the 18th–19th century.
Initially it referred specifically to the study of embryos; over time it has retained that core sense while sometimes being used more broadly to refer to embryonic development processes and related research fields.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the branch of biology that studies the formation, early growth, and development of embryos and fetuses.
Embryology provides essential insights into how organs form during early development.
Synonyms
Noun 2
the study or description of the process of embryonic development (the sequence of events by which an embryo forms and differentiates).
Comparative embryology examines similarities and differences in embryology across species.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/24 01:07