testis

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   either of the male reproductive glands that produce sperm and secrete hormones such as testosterone

   Each testis contains tightly coiled tubules in which sperm cells develop.

2. 2
   noun

   an analogous sperm-producing organ in an invertebrate

   The biologist examined the testis of the insect for radiation-induced mutations.

A learned borrowing from Latin testis ("witness; testicle"). The anatomical sense may reflect the paired organs as witnesses of virility, although the precise semantic development in Latin is uncertain. The regular Latin plural, retained in scientific English, is testes.

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