gonad

noun

go·​nad ˈgō-ˌnad 

: a reproductive gland (such as an ovary or testis) that produces gametes

gonadal

gō-ˈna-dᵊl 

adjective

Examples of gonad in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If all goes to plan, the cells will travel to the embryo’s gonads, transforming them so that the females produce eggs and the males produce sperm not of the host species but of the moa. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 19 May 2026

The orange blobs are the uni — also the sea urchins’ gonads. —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2026

To culture Tahitian pearls, a farmer uses a tool to hold the shell of the oyster open while inserting a spherical nucleus made from Mississippi River mussel shells into the gonad. —Scott Laird, Forbes.com, 23 Mar. 2026

This process begins with the day’s first light, when photoreceptive proteins called opsins in the gonads detect sunlight, triggering production of a hormone that matures developing gametes. —Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin gonad-, gonas, from Greek gonos

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gonad

• monad

Kids Definition

gonad

noun

go·​nad ˈgō-ˌnad 

: a sperm- or egg-producing gland (as a testis or ovary)

called also sex gland

Medical Definition

gonad

noun

go·​nad ˈgō-ˌnad 

: a gamete-producing reproductive gland (as an ovary or testis)

gonadal

gō-ˈnad-ᵊl 

adjective