oviduct

noun

ovi·​duct ˈō-və-ˌdəkt How to pronounce oviduct (audio)
: a tube that allows for the passage of eggs from an ovary
oviductal adjective

Examples of oviduct in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web It’s been known for decades that some live-bearing caecilian species produce a secretion in their oviducts to nourish their young internally, thanks to earlier research from Wake. Popular Science, 7 Mar. 2024 At the time of ovulation, estrogens increase the motility of the oviduct on the left side which results in a negative pressure in the tube and oocyte and sperms are picked-up into the tube with the help of this vacuum effect, taking both gametes to the fertilization site in the oviduct. Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2019 Even before birth, some species of caecilians use their specialized teeth to feed on the lining of the mother’s oviduct. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2023 But one female failed to ovulate, another had complications with her egg, and sperm for the third had lost much of its motility—its ability to travel into the oviduct and fertilize an egg—during shipment to the zoo, all of which made pregnancy less likely. Amy Mathews Amos, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2023 There are also some lizard species that develop a placental link with their young, though the African skink Trachylepis ivensi is the only reptile species whose embryos can actually burrow into the wall of the oviduct, approaching the degree of implantation seen in mammal pregnancy. Jake Buehler, National Geographic, 8 June 2020 During mating, consorts will try to court a female by flashing vibrant colors across their bodies; if successful, a consort will place a packet of sperm, called a spermatophore, into the female’s oviduct, a tube that leads to her ovaries. Joseph Castro, Discover Magazine, 10 Aug. 2011 Larger males mate with a female in the traditional way (for a squid), depositing packets of their sperm inside her oviduct. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 12 Aug. 2011 When that process is working correctly, one yolk at a time is released into her oviduct. John Kelly, Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oviduct.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin oviductus, from ov- + ductus duct

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oviduct was in 1672

Dictionary Entries Near oviduct

Cite this Entry

“Oviduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oviduct. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

oviduct

noun
ovi·​duct ˈō-və-ˌdəkt How to pronounce oviduct (audio)
: a tube for the passage of eggs from the ovary of an animal
Etymology

from scientific Latin oviductus "oviduct," from Latin ovi- "egg" (from ovum "egg") and Latin ductus "tube, duct"

Medical Definition

oviduct

noun
ovi·​duct ˈō-və-ˌdəkt How to pronounce oviduct (audio)
: a tube that allows for the passage of eggs from an ovary

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