spermatocyte

noun

sper·​mato·​cyte (ˌ)spər-ˈma-tə-ˌsīt How to pronounce spermatocyte (audio)
: a cell giving rise to sperm cells
especially : a cell that is derived by mitosis from a spermatogonium and ultimately gives rise by meiosis to four haploid spermatids

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spermatocyte was in 1886

Dictionary Entries Near spermatocyte

spermatocytal

spermatocyte

spermatogenesis

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Spermatocyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spermatocyte. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Copy Citation

Share

Medical Definition

spermatocyte

noun
sper·​mato·​cyte (ˌ)spər-ˈmat-ə-ˌsīt How to pronounce spermatocyte (audio)
: a cell giving rise to sperm
especially : a cell that is derived from a spermatogonium and ultimately gives rise to four haploid spermatids
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Games & Quizzes

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game You can make only 12 words. Pick the best ones!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A crossword with a twist
winning words from the national spelling bee logo
Spelling Bee Quiz Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...