sperm
English
Etymology
From Middle French sperme, from Latin sperma, from Ancient Greek σπέρμα (spérma, “seed, semen”).
Pronunciation
Noun
sperm (countable and uncountable, plural sperm or sperms)
- (countable) The reproductive cell or gamete of the male; a spermatozoon.
- 2012, Sarah Whitehouse, The Guardian, 13 Apr 2012:
- Seeing the two little moving cells – the result of her egg and Luke's sperm – was incredible, and two very long weeks later the clinic confirmed I was pregnant.
- 2012, Sarah Whitehouse, The Guardian, 13 Apr 2012:
- (uncountable, slang) Semen; the generative substance of male animals.
- 1603, John Florio, transl.; Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in The Essayes, […], book II, printed at London: By Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821:
- Other Nations there are, that never have use of fire; Others, whose sperme is of a blacke colour.
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- (chemistry) Sperm oil; whale oil from a sperm whale; spermaceti.
Synonyms
- (generative substance): cum (vulgar slang), semen
- (reproductive cell): spermatozoon, sperm cell
Hypernyms
- (reproductive cell): gamete
Derived terms
Derived terms
- angiosperm
- asthenospermic
- endosperm
- gymnosperm
- gymnospermous
- monospermy
- monospermous
- perisperm
- polyspermy
- polyspermic
- polyspermous
- spermary
- spermatheca
- spermatic
- spermatid
- spermatocyte
- spermatogenesis
- spermatogenetic
- spermatogenous
- spermatogonium
- spermatoid
- spermatophyte, spermophyte
- spermatorrhea, spermatorrhoea
- spermatozoal
- spermatozoon
Translations
cell
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semen (fluid)
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sperm oil, spermaceti
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From Ancient Greek σπέρμα (spérma) (sense 1).
Noun
sperm m (definite singular spermen, uncountable)
- sperm
- short for spermasett (spermaceti); see spermhval.
Related terms
Turkish
Noun
sperm
- semen (male reproductory fluid)
This Turkish entry was created from the translations listed at semen. It may be less reliable than other entries, and may be missing parts of speech or additional senses. Please also see sperm in the Turkish Wiktionary. This notice will be removed when the entry is checked. (more information) May 2009
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