embryo

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a plant, animal, or human in the earliest stages of development

   The embryo develops rapidly after fertilization.

2. 2
   noun

   a rudimentary plant inside a seed

   The seed contains a tiny embryo and stored food.

3. 3
   noun

   an early, undeveloped form of something

   The plan was still an embryo of the final proposal.

Simplified etymology

Embryo entered English in late Middle English through late Latin from Greek embruon, “foetus.” The Greek word was formed from em-, “into,” and bruein, “to swell” or “grow.”

Borrowed from Medieval Latin embryo, from Ancient Greek embryon, "young one in the womb," built from en, "in," plus a root meaning "to grow or swell." The literal image is growth within.

Topics

External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary