zygote
|zy-gote|
🇺🇸
/ˈzaɪɡoʊt/
🇬🇧
/ˈzaɪɡəʊt/
joined (yoked) cell — a fertilized single cell
Etymology
'zygote' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'zygōtós', where 'zygon' meant 'yoke' (something joined or yoked together).
'zygote' came into scientific use via Neo-Latin 'zygōtus' and French 'zygote' and was adopted into English in the 19th century to denote the joined cell after fertilization.
Initially, it meant 'joined' or 'yoked' (literally 'yoked together'), but over time it evolved into its current biological meaning of 'a fertilized cell formed by the union of gametes'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a single cell formed by the fusion of two gametes (sperm and egg) at fertilization; the earliest developmental stage of a sexually reproducing organism.
A zygote forms when the sperm fertilizes the egg.
Synonyms
Noun 2
in multicellular organisms, the early stage after fertilization before the embryo has formed; a zygote undergoes cell divisions (cleavage) to become an embryo.
The zygote divides by mitosis to develop into an embryo.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/14 16:25