semelparous
|se-mel-par-ous|
🇺🇸
/səˈmɛlpərəs/
🇬🇧
/səˈmɛlp(ə)rəs/
reproduce once, then die
Etymology
'semelparous' originates from New Latin, specifically the combination of Latin 'semel' meaning 'once' and the suffix '-parous' from Latin 'parere' meaning 'to bear or bring forth'.
'semelparous' was coined in modern biological usage by combining Latin elements ('semel' + '-parous') to describe reproductive strategy; it entered English scientific vocabulary in the 19th–20th centuries as 'semelparous' (from New Latin).
Initially coined to denote 'bearing or reproducing once,' the term has retained this technical meaning to describe organisms that reproduce a single time then die.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the condition or strategy of being semelparous (i.e., reproducing only once).
Semelparity is common among certain insects and some fish species.
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Adjective 1
reproducing only once during an individual's lifetime, and typically dying after that single reproductive event.
Many Pacific salmon are semelparous: they migrate to spawn once and then die.
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Last updated: 2025/11/24 04:34