ovule
noun
plural ovules
1
: a structure of a seed plant that gives rise to female reproductive cells and is found within the floral ovaries of angiosperms or are borne on female strobili of gymnosperms
Note: In flowering plants the ovule consists of a protective outer integument and an inner nucellus enclosing the embryo sac
When the pollen tube enters an ovule within the ovary, one of the two sperm cells it carries fuses with the egg, producing a diploid zygote …—David L. Mulcahy et al.
Female cones contain ovules, or early-stage eggs, at the base of each of their scales. When pollen from the male cones, brought by insects or the wind, reaches these ovules, they develop into seeds.—Laetitia Sands
2
: a small egg
especially
: one in an early stage of growth
An appropriate connection of the cells in the ovary follicles is vital for a healthy ovule maturation and fertilization … . —Navid Shomali
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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