sperm

play

noun \ˈspərm\

Definition of sperm

plural

sperm

sperms

1a : semenb : a male gamete; especially : spermatozoon 1
2 : a product of the sperm whale

See sperm defined for English-language learners

See sperm defined for kids

Examples of sperm in a Sentence

The sperm fertilizes the egg.

Recent Examples of sperm from the Web

Strickland’s ex-wife, now named Kimberly Day, gave birth to a son conceived with an anonymous sperm donor.

— emily wagster pettus, The Seattle Times, "Lesbian challenges court ruling that she’s not legal parent", 1 June 2017
Nobody could figure out what was causing the deformed sperm until staff at the zoo started thinking about the hellbender eggs being more like fish eggs than like salamander eggs.

— jackson landers, Smithsonian, "Giving ’Em Hell(benders) at the Saint Louis Zoo", 1 June 2017
The agency wanted substantial evidence that women weren’t becoming infected from washed sperm.

— Washington Post, "CDC says virus-removal technique is safe option for HIV-infected men who want to father children", 1 June 2017
Investigators later found Kimbro’s sperm on Getrum’s body, the affidavit said.

— mark david smith, deanna boyd and ryan osborne, star-telegram, "TCU-area murder suspect charged in Plano woman’s death", 26 May 2017
Also, no sperm had been found on the swab during the autopsy and initial crime lab examination.

— kristina davis, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Judge won't toss lawsuit accusing San Diego police of driving ex-criminalist to suicide", 26 May 2017
The process involves coating active sperm cells with an iron adhesive and magnetically steering them to their internal targets.

— by chuck shepherd, idahostatesman, "Weird news from around the world", 25 May 2017
In the waters of the Yunnan Province of China, a team of conservationists is hoping to find a turtle with some very valuable sperm.

— National Geographic, "There Are Only 3 of These Turtles Left on Earth", 23 May 2017
We’re uniquely human from the moment that egg and sperm fuse.

— brandon keim, WIRED, "What Does It Mean to Be Human?", 1 June 2008

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sperm'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sperm

Middle English, from Middle French esperme, sperme, from Late Latin spermat-, sperma, from Greek, literally, seed, from speirein to sow; probably akin to Armenian p'aratem I dispense

First Known Use: 14th century

sperm-

combining form

variants: or

spermo-

sperma-

spermi-

Definition of sperm-

: seed : germ : sperm spermatheca spermicide

Origin and Etymology of sperm-

Greek sperm-, spermo-, from sperma

SPERM Defined for English Language Learners

sperm

play

noun

Definition of sperm for English Language Learners

: a cell that is produced by the male sexual organs and that combines with the female's egg in reproduction
: fluid that is produced by the male sexual organs which contains sperm cells