sperm

C1 Topic:The Human Body

US /spɜɹm/ UK /spɜːm/ See IPA manual

Freq #5684

Meanings

1

noun
a male reproductive cell that can fertilize an egg cell

A single sperm fused with the egg during fertilization.
2

noun
semen, especially in informal or nontechnical use

The laboratory tested the sperm for signs of infection.
3

noun
historically, spermaceti or the oil and wax obtained from a sperm whale

The candle was made from refined sperm that burned with a bright flame.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a male reproductive cell... sperm cellspermatozoonmale gamete

2 noun · semen, especially in... semenseminal fluid

3 noun · historically, spermaceti or... spermacetisperm oil

Opposites

ovumegg cell

Word family

Forms spermatic

Derived forms spermaticspermic

Related forms semenspermatozoongameteovum fertilization spermaceti

Common collocations

Etymology

From Middle English sperme, through Latin sperma, from Greek sperma ('seed'), related to speirein ('to sow or scatter'). The reproductive sense continues the ancient seed metaphor. The historical oil-and-wax sense comes through sperm whale, whose spermaceti was once mistaken for the animal's seminal fluid.

Topics

The Human Body

External links

# sperm

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /spɜɹm/
**IPA (UK):** /spɜːm/
**Frequency rank:** 5684

## Meanings
1. a male reproductive cell that can fertilize an egg cell
2. semen, especially in informal or nontechnical use
3. historically, spermaceti or the oil and wax obtained from a sperm whale

## Examples
- A single sperm fused with the egg during fertilization.
- The laboratory tested the sperm for signs of infection.
- The candle was made from refined sperm that burned with a bright flame.

## Synonyms
- sperm cell
- spermatozoon
- male gamete
- semen

## Antonyms
- ovum
- egg cell

## Derived Forms
- spermatic
- spermic

## Related Forms
- semen
- spermatozoon
- gamete
- ovum
- fertilization
- spermaceti

## Etymology
From Middle English sperme, through Latin sperma, from Greek sperma ('seed'), related to speirein ('to sow or scatter'). The reproductive sense continues the ancient seed metaphor. The historical oil-and-wax sense comes through sperm whale, whose spermaceti was once mistaken for the animal's seminal fluid.

## Topics
- The Human Body

markdown