zygote

zy·gote | \ ˈzī-ˌgōt

How to pronounce zygote (audio)

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Definition of zygote

: a cell formed by the union of two gametes broadly : the developing individual produced from such a cell

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Examples of zygote in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web My mother-in-law nodded wisely, noting that this was a good sign, that nausea meant my body was chock-full of all the hormones necessary to keep that little zygote safe and sound. — Jenn Morson, Redbook, "A Rare Condition While I Was Pregnant Nearly Killed Me and My Baby," 5 Sep. 2017 Even though each of your cells supposedly contains a replica of the DNA in the fertilized egg that began your life, mutations, copying errors and editing mistakes began modifying that code as soon as your zygote self began to divide. — Quanta Magazine, "I Contain Multitudes," 21 Aug. 2014 If this all sounds familiar, there’s a reason for it — animal embryos develop from zygotes in much the same way, and spherical choanoflagellate colonies look uncannily like early-stage animal embryos. — Quanta Magazine, "Where Animals Come From," 29 July 2014 There's not much time before the zygotes, fertilized single cells, start multiplying. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Could CRISPR Be the Key to Saving Coral?," 23 Apr. 2018 At the time of its birth, the zoo explained that the turtles suffered from a condition called polycephaly, a condition that results when zygotes don't properly separate during development. — Sarah Gibbens, National Geographic, "Two-Headed Baby Turtle Swims to Sea—Will It Survive?," 21 Aug. 2017 At the time of its birth, the zoo explained that the turtles suffered from a condition called polycephaly, a condition that results when zygotes don't properly separate during development. — Sarah Gibbens, National Geographic, "Two-Headed Baby Turtle Swims to Sea—Will It Survive?," 21 Aug. 2017 Ectopic pregnancies are often called tubal pregnancies, but can happen anywhere, really, that a wayward zygote with a self-destructive streak lands. — Joanna Petrone, Longreads, "Pregnant, then Ruptured," 18 Aug. 2017 The result was one-cell embryos, known as zygotes, with a defective gene responsible for the heart condition from the man along with a healthy copy of the gene from the woman. — Lynne Terry, OregonLive.com, "OHSU genetic research that could eliminate diseases faces clinical obstacles," 2 Aug. 2017

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

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Dictionary Entries near zygote

zygote intrafallopian transfer

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Cite this Entry

“Zygote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zygote. Accessed 23 Oct. 2020.

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More Definitions for zygote

zygote

noun

English Language Learners Definition of zygote

biology : a cell that is formed when an egg and a sperm combine : a fertilized egg

See the full definition for zygote in the English Language Learners Dictionary

zygote

zy·gote | \ ˈzī-ˌgōt

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Kids Definition of zygote

: the new cell formed when a sperm cell joins with an egg cell

zygote

zy·gote | \ ˈzī-ˌgōt

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Medical Definition of zygote

: a cell formed by the union of two gametes broadly : the developing individual produced from such a cell

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