Main Entry: ovum

Pronunciation: \ˈō-vəm\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural ova \-və\

: a female gamete : macrogamete ; especially : a mature egg that has undergone reduction, is ready for fertilization, and takes the form of a relatively large inactive gamete providing a comparatively great amount of reserve material and contributing most of the cytoplasm of the zygote

[ovum illustration]