ovipositor
noun
ovi·pos·i·tor
ˈō-və-ˌpä-zə-tər 
ˌō-və-ˈpä-
: a specialized organ (as of an insect) for depositing eggs see insect illustration
Examples of ovipositor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Females lay their eggs After mating, female cicadas use their ovipositor—a spear-like structure—to slice into small trees, shrubs, and even grapevines.
—
Solcyré Burga, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
The female adult lays an egg just below the surface of a leaflet with her sharp ovipositor.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2023
It is used for protection, and also the ovipositor is used for laying eggs.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 24 June 2023
Male wasps lack this defense, because stingers evolved from a female egg-laying organ called an ovipositor.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Dec. 2022
Depending on the species of dragonfly, females deposit eggs directly into ponds, streams, or other bodies of water, or inject their eggs into plants growing in or near water with an organ called an ovipositor, said Mass Audubon.
—Don Lyman, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2022
But female cicadas lay their eggs in twigs and small branches after cutting grooves in them with a sharp organ called an ovipositor on its abdomen.
—Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, 28 May 2021
Females lay their eggs After male and female cicadas hook up, the females slice into small tree branches using their ovipositor—a saw-like organ—and lay nests of 20 to 30 eggs at a time.
—Rebecca Katzman, Time, 12 May 2021
The wasp grabs hold of the caterpillar and drives its ovipositor into the squishy body, injecting a single egg.
—Matt Simon, Wired, 9 Nov. 2020
Solcyré Burga, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
The female adult lays an egg just below the surface of a leaflet with her sharp ovipositor.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2023
It is used for protection, and also the ovipositor is used for laying eggs.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 24 June 2023
Male wasps lack this defense, because stingers evolved from a female egg-laying organ called an ovipositor.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Dec. 2022
Depending on the species of dragonfly, females deposit eggs directly into ponds, streams, or other bodies of water, or inject their eggs into plants growing in or near water with an organ called an ovipositor, said Mass Audubon.
—Don Lyman, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2022
But female cicadas lay their eggs in twigs and small branches after cutting grooves in them with a sharp organ called an ovipositor on its abdomen.
—Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, 28 May 2021
Females lay their eggs After male and female cicadas hook up, the females slice into small tree branches using their ovipositor—a saw-like organ—and lay nests of 20 to 30 eggs at a time.
—Rebecca Katzman, Time, 12 May 2021
The wasp grabs hold of the caterpillar and drives its ovipositor into the squishy body, injecting a single egg.
—Matt Simon, Wired, 9 Nov. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ovipositor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ovipositor
Cite this Entry
“Ovipositor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ovipositor. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ovipositor
noun
ovi·pos·i·tor
ˈō-və-ˌpäz-ət-ər
: a specialized organ (as of an insect) for depositing eggs
Medical Definition
ovipositor
noun
ovi·pos·i·tor
ˈō-və-ˌpäz-ət-ər, ˌō-və-ˈ
: a specialized organ (as of an insect) for depositing eggs
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