gonad

noun

go·​nad ˈgō-ˌnad How to pronounce gonad (audio)
: a reproductive gland (such as an ovary or testis) that produces gametes
gonadal adjective

Examples of gonad in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The orange blobs are the uni — also the sea urchins’ gonads. Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2026 To culture Tahitian pearls, a farmer uses a tool to hold the shell of the oyster open while inserting a spherical nucleus made from Mississippi River mussel shells into the gonad. Scott Laird, Forbes.com, 23 Mar. 2026 This process begins with the day’s first light, when photoreceptive proteins called opsins in the gonads detect sunlight, triggering production of a hormone that matures developing gametes. Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026 The researchers used Cox proportional hazards models, a standard survival analysis method, to see how frailty predicted mortality, overall and in groups with different durations of gonad exposure. New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gonad

Word History

Etymology

New Latin gonad-, gonas, from Greek gonos

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gonad was in 1880

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Cite this Entry

“Gonad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gonad. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

gonad

noun
go·​nad ˈgō-ˌnad How to pronounce gonad (audio)
: a sperm- or egg-producing gland (as a testis or ovary)

called also sex gland

Medical Definition

gonad

noun
go·​nad ˈgō-ˌnad How to pronounce gonad (audio)
: a gamete-producing reproductive gland (as an ovary or testis)
gonadal adjective

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