ascospore

[ as-kuh-spawr, -spohr ]

nounMycology.
  1. a spore formed within an ascus.

Origin of ascospore

1
First recorded in 1870–75; asco- + spore

Other words from ascospore

  • as·co·spor·ic [as-kuh-spawr-ik, -spor-], /ˌæs kəˈspɔr ɪk, -ˈspɒr-/, as·cos·po·rous [as-kos-per-uhs, as-kuh-spawr-, -spohr-], /æsˈkɒs pər əs, ˌæs kəˈspɔr-, -ˈspoʊr-/, adjective

Words Nearby ascospore

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How to use ascospore in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ascospore

ascospore

/ (ˈæskəˌspɔː) /


noun
  1. one of the spores (usually eight in number) that are produced in an ascus

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for ascospore

ascospore

[ ăskə-spôr′ ]


  1. A sexually produced fungal spore formed within an ascus of ascomycetes. Ascospores have a haploid number of chromosomes and are formed by meiosis of the diploid zygote that results when the nuclei of sexually compatible hyphae fuse together. When an ascospore is released and lands in a place that is rich in nutrients, it germinates and sends out hyphae of its own.

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