Spermatozoon

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ËŒspɜːmÉ™tÉ™(ÊŠ)ˈzəʊɒn/

Alternative forms

• spermatozoön
• spermatozoan

Origin

From Ancient Greek σπέρμα (sperma, "sperm") + ζῷον (zōon, "living thing").

Full definition of spermatozoon

Noun

1. (cytology) The reproductive cell or gamete of the male, carried in semen, that fertilizes the ovum to produce the zygote.

Synonyms

• sperm cell
• zoosperm

Hypernyms

• gamete

Coordinate terms

• ovum

Derived terms

• spermatozoal
• spermatozoic