embryo

See also: Embryo and embryo-

English

Alternative forms

• (after the Medieval Latin embryo) embrio [Middle English to the 18th century], embryo [17th century to the present] (singular forms); embryones [17th century to the present], embrio’s [17th–18th centuries], embrioes [17th century], embryos [19th century to the present] (plural forms)
• (after the stem (embryōn-) of the Medieval Latin embryo) embrioun [Middle English], embrion [Middle English to the 18th century], embryon [17th–19th centuries] (singular forms); embrions [17th C.], embryons [17th–19th centuries] (plural forms)
• (after the Ancient Greek ἔμβρυον (émbruon)) embryon [17th century to the present] (singular form); embryons [17th century to the present], embrya [18th century to the present] (plural forms)

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin embryō, from Ancient Greek ἔμβρυον (émbruon, “fetus”), from ἐν (en, “in-”) + βρύω (brúō, “I grow, swell”). Possibly related to Hebrew עֻבָּר (“fetus, embryo”) ('ʊbar).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɛmbɹi.əʊ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɛmbɹi.oʊ/
• Hyphenation: em‧bryo

Noun

embryo (plural embryos or embryones)

1. In the reproductive cycle, the stage after the fertilization of the egg that precedes the development into a fetus.
   • 2015 August 18, Clelia De-la-Peña et al., “The role of chromatin modifications in somatic embryogenesis in plants”, in Frontiers in Plant Science‎^[1], volume 6, →DOI:

     SE onset depends on a complex network of interactions among plant growth regulators, mainly auxins and cytokinins, during the proembryogenic early stages, and ethylene and gibberellic and abscisic acids later in the development of somatic embryos.

   • 2015 December 4, “Divergent RNA Localisation Patterns of Maternal Genes Regulating Embryonic Patterning in the Butterfly Pararge aegeria”, in PLOS ONE‎^[2], →DOI:

     In situ hybridisations were performed on devitellinised embryos still wrapped around the yolk and on embryos with the yolk dissected away.

2. An organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis.
3. In viviparous animals, the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body
4. In humans, usually the cell growth of the child within the mother's body, through the end of the seventh week of pregnancy
5. (botany) A rudimentary plant contained in the seed.
6. (figurative) The beginning; the first stage of anything.
   • 1731 (date written), Simon Wagstaff [pseudonym; Jonathan Swift], “An Introduction to the Following Treatise”, in A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation, […], London: […] B[enjamin] Motte […], published 1738, →OCLC, page lxxviii:

     […] while the Company little ſuſpected what a noble Work I had then in Embryo […]

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

     it dives into the heart of the observed, and there espies evil, as it were, in the first embryo […]

   • 1860 January – 1861 April, Anthony Trollope, Framley Parsonage. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], published April 1861, →OCLC:

     Lord Lufton, with his barony and twenty thousand a year, might be accepted as just good enough; but failing him there was an embryo marquis, whose fortune would be more than ten times as great, all ready to accept his child!

Coordinate terms

• fetus, foetus
• zygote

Derived terms

• coconut embryo
• dysembryoma
• eleutheroembryo
• embryectomy
• embryocardia
• embryocidal
• embryogenesis
• embryogenetic
• embryogenic
• embryogony
• embryography
• embryoid
• embryokine
• embryoless
• embryolike
• embryology
• embryoma
• embryonary
• embryonic
• embryonical
• embryoniferous
• embryony
• embryopathic
• embryopathy
• embryophytic
• embryoplastic
• embryo sac
• embryoscope
• embryoscopy
• embryostasis
• embryostatic
• embryotomy
• embryotoxic
• embryotoxicity
• embryo transfer
• embryotrophic
• embryotropic
• embryous
• hybrid embryo
• in embryo
• interembryo
• monembryony
• polyembryo
• postembryo
• pre-embryo
• proembryo
• pseudembryo
• typembryo
• xenoembryo

Translations

fertilized egg before developing into a fetus

• Albanian: embrion (sq) m
• Arabic: جَنِين m (janīn)
• Armenian: սաղմ (hy) (saġm)
• Azerbaijani: embrion, rüşeym
• Belarusian: эмбрыён m (embryjón), заро́дак (be) m (zaródak)
• Bengali: ভ্রুণ (bhrun)
• Bulgarian: заро́диш (bg) m (zaródiš), ембрио́н (bg) m (embrión)
• Burmese: သားလောင်း (my) (sa:laung:), သန္ဓေသား (my) (sandhesa:)
• Catalan: embrió m
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 胚胎 (bui¹ toi¹, pui¹ toi¹)

  Mandarin: 胎 (zh) (tāi), 胚胎 (zh) (pēitāi)

• Czech: zárodek (cs) m, embryo n
• Danish: embryon n
• Dutch: embryo (nl) n
• Esperanto: embrio
• Estonian: embrüo
• Finnish: alkio (fi)
• French: embryon (fr) m
• Georgian: ემბრიონი (embrioni), ნაყოფი (naq̇opi)
• German: Embryo (de) m
• Greek: έμβρυο (el) n (émvryo)

  Ancient: ἔμβρυον n (émbruon), κύημα n (kúēma)

• Hebrew: עֻבָּר \ עובר (he) m ('ubar)
• Hindi: भ्रूण (hi) m (bhrūṇ)
• Hungarian: embrió (hu), magzat (hu), (archaic) ébrény
• Icelandic: fósturvísir (is) m
• Indonesian: embrio (id), janin (id)
• Italian: embrione (it) m
• Japanese: 胚 (ja) (はい, hai)
• Kazakh: эмбрион (émbrion), ұрық (ūryq)
• Khmer: គភ៌ (km) (kɔə), ជីវាណូ (ciivaanou), ភ្រូណ (km) (phruun), ពីជៈ (piicĕəʼ), ភ្រូណា (km) (phruunaa)
• Korean: 태아(胎兒) (ko) (taea), 배(胚) (ko) (bae), 배아(胚芽) (ko) (baea)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: cenîn (ku)

• Kyrgyz: эмбрион (embrion), түйүлдүк (ky) (tüyüldük)
• Lao: ຈາວ (chāo), ພັນ (phan), ຄັບພະລູກ (khap pha lūk)
• Latvian: embrijs m
• Lithuanian: embrionas m, gamalas m
• Macedonian: ембрио́н m (embrión)
• Malay: embrio, janin (ms), mudghah
• Maori: kikiri
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: үр хөврөл (ür xövröl)

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: embryo n

  Nynorsk: embryo n

• Pashto: جنين (ps) m (janin)
• Persian: جنین (fa) (janin), رویان (fa) (royân)
• Polish: zarodek (pl) m, embrion (pl) m
• Portuguese: embrião (pt) m
• Romanian: embrion (ro) m
• Russian: эмбрио́н (ru) m (embrión), заро́дыш (ru) m (zaródyš)
• Sanskrit: गर्भ (sa) m (garbha), भ्रूण (sa) m or n (bhrūṇa)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: за̀метак m, е̏мбрио̄н m, е̏мбрио m

  Roman: zàmetak (sh) m, ȅmbriōn (sh) m, ȅmbrio (sh) m

• Slovak: zárodok m, embryo n
• Slovene: zarodek (sl) m
• Spanish: embrión (es) m
• Swedish: embryo (sv) n
• Tagalog: bilig
• Tajik: ҷанин (janin)
• Thai: เอ็มบริโอ (th) (em-brì-oo)
• Turkish: embriyo (tr), cenin (tr)
• Turkmen: şine
• Ukrainian: ембріо́н m (embrión), заро́док m (zaródok)
• Urdu: جنین m (janīn)
• Uyghur: ھامىلە (hamile)
• Uzbek: embrion (uz), homila (uz)
• Vietnamese: phôi (vi), phôi thai (vi)
• Volapük: brüom

an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis

• Bulgarian: ембрио́н (bg) m (embrión)
• Finnish: alkio (fi)
• Greek: έμβρυο (el) n (émvryo)

  Ancient: ἔμβρυον n (émbruon), κύημα n (kúēma)

• Portuguese: embrião (pt) m
• Russian: эмбрио́н (ru) m (embrión), заро́дыш (ru) m (zaródyš)
• Spanish: embrión (es) m
• Swedish: embryo (sv) n
• Turkish: embriyo (tr)
• Ukrainian: ембріо́н m (embrión), заро́док m (zaródok)
• Volapük: brüom

in viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body

• Finnish: alkio (fi)
• Greek: έμβρυο (el) n (émvryo)
• Japanese: 胎児 (ja) (たいじ, taiji)
• Korean: 태아(胎兒) (ko) (taea)
• Portuguese: embrião (pt) m
• Russian: эмбрио́н (ru) m (embrión), заро́дыш (ru) m (zaródyš)
• Spanish: embrión (es) m
• Swedish: embryo (sv) n
• Volapük: brüom

in humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body

• Bulgarian: заро́диш (bg) m (zaródiš)
• Finnish: alkio (fi)
• Greek: έμβρυο (el) n (émvryo)
• Polish: zarodek (pl) m, embrion (pl) m
• Portuguese: embrião (pt) m
• Russian: эмбрио́н (ru) m (embrión), заро́дыш (ru) m (zaródyš)
• Spanish: embrión (es) m
• Volapük: brüom

botany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed

• Dutch: kiemplant (nl)
• Finnish: alkio (fi)
• Hungarian: csíra (hu), embrió (hu)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: embryo n, kime (no) m

  Nynorsk: embryo n, kime m

• Portuguese: embrião (pt) m
• Russian: заро́дыш (ru) m (zaródyš)
• Spanish: embrión (es) m

the beginning; the first stage of anything

• Bulgarian: начална фаза f (načalna faza)
• Finnish: alku (fi)
• Hungarian: csíra (hu)
• Polish: zalążek (pl) m, zaczątek m
• Portuguese: embrião (pt) m

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Dutch: ^{(please verify)} embryo (nl) n
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} embrione (it) m
• Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} embrio (sh) m, ^{(please verify)} embrij (sh) m
• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} embryo (sv) n

Further reading

• embryo on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Morbey, merboy

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɛmbrɪjo]

Noun

embryo n

1. embryo

   Synonym: zárodek

Declension

Declension of embryo (semisoft neuter)

	singular	plural
nominative	embryo	embrya
genitive	embrya	embryí
dative	embryu	embryím
accusative	embryo	embrya
vocative	embryo	embrya
locative	embryu	embryích
instrumental	embryem	embryi

Related terms

• embryonální

Further reading

• “embryo”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “embryo”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• embryo in Akademický slovník cizích slov, 1995, at prirucka.ujc.cas.cz

Dutch

Etymology

Learned borrowing from New Latin embryo, from Ancient Greek ἔμβρυον (émbruon, “fetus”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛm.bri.oː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: em‧bryo

Noun

embryo n (plural embryo's, diminutive embryootje n)

1. embryo

Derived terms

• embryogenese
• embryologie
• embryologisch
• embryoloog
• embryonaal
• embryoselectie
• embryotransplantatie

Descendants

• → Indonesian: embrio

Finnish

Etymology

Internationalism (see English embryo), ultimately from Medieval Latin embryō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈembryo/, [ˈe̞m.bryo̞]
• Rhymes: -embryo
• Hyphenation^(key): emb‧ryo

Noun

embryo (rare)

1. embryo

Declension

Inflection of embryo (Kotus type 3/valtio, no gradation)
nominative		embryo	embryot
genitive		embryon	embryoiden embryoitten
partitive		embryota	embryoita
illative		embryoon	embryoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		embryo	embryot
accusative	nom.	embryo	embryot
	gen.	embryon
genitive		embryon	embryoiden embryoitten
partitive		embryota	embryoita
inessive		embryossa	embryoissa
elative		embryosta	embryoista
illative		embryoon	embryoihin
adessive		embryolla	embryoilla
ablative		embryolta	embryoilta
allative		embryolle	embryoille
essive		embryona	embryoina
translative		embryoksi	embryoiksi
abessive		embryotta	embryoitta
instructive		—	embryoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of embryo (Kotus type 3/valtio, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative embryoni embryoni accusative nom. embryoni embryoni gen. embryoni genitive embryoni embryoideni embryoitteni partitive embryotani embryoitani inessive embryossani embryoissani elative embryostani embryoistani illative embryooni embryoihini adessive embryollani embryoillani ablative embryoltani embryoiltani allative embryolleni embryoilleni essive embryonani embryoinani translative embryokseni embryoikseni abessive embryottani embryoittani instructive — — comitative — embryoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative embryosi embryosi accusative nom. embryosi embryosi gen. embryosi genitive embryosi embryoidesi embryoittesi partitive embryotasi embryoitasi inessive embryossasi embryoissasi elative embryostasi embryoistasi illative embryoosi embryoihisi adessive embryollasi embryoillasi ablative embryoltasi embryoiltasi allative embryollesi embryoillesi essive embryonasi embryoinasi translative embryoksesi embryoiksesi abessive embryottasi embryoittasi instructive — — comitative — embryoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative embryomme embryomme accusative nom. embryomme embryomme gen. embryomme genitive embryomme embryoidemme embryoittemme partitive embryotamme embryoitamme inessive embryossamme embryoissamme elative embryostamme embryoistamme illative embryoomme embryoihimme adessive embryollamme embryoillamme ablative embryoltamme embryoiltamme allative embryollemme embryoillemme essive embryonamme embryoinamme translative embryoksemme embryoiksemme abessive embryottamme embryoittamme instructive — — comitative — embryoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative embryonne embryonne accusative nom. embryonne embryonne gen. embryonne genitive embryonne embryoidenne embryoittenne partitive embryotanne embryoitanne inessive embryossanne embryoissanne elative embryostanne embryoistanne illative embryoonne embryoihinne adessive embryollanne embryoillanne ablative embryoltanne embryoiltanne allative embryollenne embryoillenne essive embryonanne embryoinanne translative embryoksenne embryoiksenne abessive embryottanne embryoittanne instructive — — comitative — embryoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative embryonsa embryonsa accusative nom. embryonsa embryonsa gen. embryonsa genitive embryonsa embryoidensa embryoittensa partitive embryotaan embryotansa embryoitaan embryoitansa inessive embryossaan embryossansa embryoissaan embryoissansa elative embryostaan embryostansa embryoistaan embryoistansa illative embryoonsa embryoihinsa adessive embryollaan embryollansa embryoillaan embryoillansa ablative embryoltaan embryoltansa embryoiltaan embryoiltansa allative embryolleen embryollensa embryoilleen embryoillensa essive embryonaan embryonansa embryoinaan embryoinansa translative embryokseen embryoksensa embryoikseen embryoiksensa abessive embryottaan embryottansa embryoittaan embryoittansa instructive — — comitative — embryoineen embryoinensa

Synonyms

• alkio

Further reading

• “embryo”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[3] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

Interlingua

Noun

embryo (plural embryos)

1. embryo

Related terms

• embryonal

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin embryo, from Ancient Greek ἔμβρυον (émbruon, “fetus”).

Noun

embryo n (definite singular embryoet, indefinite plural embryo or embryoer, definite plural embryoa or embryoene)

1. (biology, botany) an embryo

Related terms

• foster

References

• “embryo” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin embryo, from Ancient Greek ἔμβρυον (émbruon, “fetus”).

Noun

embryo n (definite singular embryoet, indefinite plural embryo, definite plural embryoa)

1. (biology, botany) an embryo

Related terms

• foster

References

• “embryo” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Noun

embryo n

1. an embryo (unborn baby less developed than a fetus)
2. an embryo (organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis)
3. (figuratively) an embryo (beginning, first stage)

Declension

Declension of embryo

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	embryo	embryos
	definite	embryot	embryots
plural	indefinite	embryon	embryons
	definite	embryona	embryonas

Related terms

• embryonal (“embryonic”)

See also

• foster (“fetus”)

References

• embryo in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• embryo in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• embryo in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)