oocyte

noun

oo·​cyte ˈō-ə-ˌsīt How to pronounce oocyte (audio)
: an egg before maturation : a female gametocyte

Examples of oocyte in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the ovary, the manipulated cell developed into an egg cell, or oocyte. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 15 Mar. 2023 The fusion of a normal oocyte and three sperm (from one or more males). Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 11 Sep. 2010 To carry out the freeze-drying process, Wakayama’s team harvested support cells known as cumulus cells from around the oocyte of female black-furred mice. Megan Molteni, STAT, 8 July 2022 The nurse cells synthesize RNA molecules that are ultimately deposited into the oocyte. Discover Magazine, 15 May 2013 But during that cycle, only one dominant follicle matures completely to release the oocyte contained within it. Katherine Kornei, Discover Magazine, 27 July 2016 Sperm injection into a human oocyte, or immature egg cell. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 1 Feb. 2016 Up to $60,000 in reimbursements are available for fertility/infertility treatment costs, adoption, surrogacy and oocyte cryopreservation. Scooby Axson, USA TODAY, 8 May 2022 At age 35, Sun underwent oocyte cryopreservation, or egg freezing, yielding three to four eggs each cycle. Courtney Vinopal, Quartz, 3 Mar. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oocyte.' 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

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oocyte was in 1895

Dictionary Entries Near oocyte

Cite this Entry

“Oocyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oocyte. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.

Medical Definition

oocyte

noun
oo·​cyte ˈō-ə-ˌsīt How to pronounce oocyte (audio)
: an egg before maturation : a female gametocyte

called also ovocyte

More from Merriam-Webster on oocyte

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