oogonium
|o-o-go-ni-um|
🇺🇸
/ˌoʊ.əˈɡoʊ.ni.əm/
🇬🇧
/ˌəʊ.əˈɡəʊ.ni.əm/
egg-producing organ or cell
Etymology
'oogonium' originates from New Latin, specifically the combining form 'oo-' meaning 'egg' (from Greek 'ōion') and the suffix '-gonium' from Greek 'gonos' meaning 'offspring, generation', used in biology for 'reproductive organ'.
'oogonium' was coined in 19th-century scientific Latin and entered English unchanged as 'oogonium'.
Initially, it meant 'egg-producing organ in algae and fungi', but over time it also came to denote the 'female germ cell in animals'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
in algae, fungi, and some plants, a female reproductive structure (gametangium) that produces eggs (oospheres).
Under the microscope, the alga displayed a swollen oogonium containing several developing oospheres.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/12 01:53