em·bryo
ˈem-brē-ˌō 
plural embryos
1
a
: an animal in the early stages of growth and differentiation that are characterized by cleavage, the laying down of fundamental tissues, and the formation of primitive organs and organ systems
especially
: the developing human individual from the time of implantation to the end of the eighth week after conception
b
archaic
: a vertebrate at any stage of development prior to birth or hatching
2
: the young sporophyte of a seed plant usually comprising a rudimentary plant with plumule, radicle, and cotyledons
3
a
: something as yet undeveloped
b
: a beginning or undeveloped state of something
productions seen in embryo during their out-of-town tryout period—
Henry Hewes
Henry Hewes
: embryo
embryogeny
Examples of embryo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Alexandra Chaidez, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2025
The recent criminalization bills also include fetal personhood rhetoric—a legal doctrine at the forefront of the fight over reproductive rights that aims to give an embryo and fetus the legal rights of people.
—Chantelle Lee, TIME, 18 Mar. 2025
One day in 1974, embryologist Beatrice Mintz and geneticist Rudolf Jaenisch inserted SV40 into the cells of a mouse embryo.
—Kiona N. Smith, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
The 38-year-old went through daily injections, endured egg retrieval, had an embryo implanted and finally got pregnant, but her joy was cut short after birth.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for embryo
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Noun
The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos created through IVF were legally children.
—Alexandra Chaidez, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2025
The recent criminalization bills also include fetal personhood rhetoric—a legal doctrine at the forefront of the fight over reproductive rights that aims to give an embryo and fetus the legal rights of people.
—Chantelle Lee, TIME, 18 Mar. 2025
One day in 1974, embryologist Beatrice Mintz and geneticist Rudolf Jaenisch inserted SV40 into the cells of a mouse embryo.
—Kiona N. Smith, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
The 38-year-old went through daily injections, endured egg retrieval, had an embryo implanted and finally got pregnant, but her joy was cut short after birth.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for embryo
Articles Related to embryo
Cite this Entry
“Embryo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embryo. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
embryo
noun
em·bryo
ˈem-brē-ˌō
plural embryos
1
: an animal in the early stages of development that are marked by cleavage, the laying down of the basic tissues, and the formation of primitive organs and organ systems compare fetus
2
: a tiny young plant within a seed
3
: a beginning or undeveloped stage
—used especially in the phrase in embryo
Medical Definition
embryo
noun
em·bryo
ˈem-brē-ˌō
plural embryos
1
archaic
: a vertebrate at any stage of development prior to birth or hatching
2
: an animal in the early stages of growth and differentiation that are characterized by cleavage, the laying down of fundamental tissues, and the formation of primitive organs and organ systems
especially
: the developing human individual from the time of implantation to the end of the eighth week after conception compare fetus
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