unfertilized
adjective
un·fer·til·ized
ˌən-ˈfər-tə-ˌlīzd 
: not made fertile : not fertilized
an unfertilized egg
unfertilized soil
Examples of unfertilized in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In parthenogenesis, a polar body fuses with the unfertilized egg, triggering it to form an embryo.
—
Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2024
The case for the baby great white sighting While in utero, embryonic sharks feed on unfertilized eggs for protein.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2024
One story holds that Julieta once laid a batch of eggs near the enclosure, all unfertilized.
—Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 23 Nov. 2023
Drones develop from unfertilized eggs and are much larger than worker bees.
—Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 4 May 2023
In wasps, bees and ants, however, males generally are born from unfertilized eggs and therefore contain only genetic information from their mother.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2023
We primates have spindle proteins, which are crucial for cell division, located near the chromosomes in our unfertilized eggs.
—Molly Glick, Discover Magazine, 26 Nov. 2021
Parthenogenesis is the development of viable offspring from unfertilized eggs, no sperm necessary.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 17 Nov. 2021
Instead of figuring out when fertilization was happening inside a lizard, the researchers used unfertilized eggs instead.
—Roni Dengler, Discover Magazine, 28 Aug. 2019
Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2024
The case for the baby great white sighting While in utero, embryonic sharks feed on unfertilized eggs for protein.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2024
One story holds that Julieta once laid a batch of eggs near the enclosure, all unfertilized.
—Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 23 Nov. 2023
Drones develop from unfertilized eggs and are much larger than worker bees.
—Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 4 May 2023
In wasps, bees and ants, however, males generally are born from unfertilized eggs and therefore contain only genetic information from their mother.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2023
We primates have spindle proteins, which are crucial for cell division, located near the chromosomes in our unfertilized eggs.
—Molly Glick, Discover Magazine, 26 Nov. 2021
Parthenogenesis is the development of viable offspring from unfertilized eggs, no sperm necessary.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 17 Nov. 2021
Instead of figuring out when fertilization was happening inside a lizard, the researchers used unfertilized eggs instead.
—Roni Dengler, Discover Magazine, 28 Aug. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unfertilized.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1775, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near unfertilized
Cite this Entry
“Unfertilized.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfertilized. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Medical Definition
unfertilized
adjective
un·fer·til·ized
-ˈfərt-ᵊl-ˌīzd
: not fertilized
an unfertilized egg
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