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sperm

 - 12 dictionary results
How To Get Pregnant
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Tips on Getting Pregnant
I thought I was infertile for 5 years, then discovered this secret!
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sperm

1  [spurm] ,
Use sperm in a Sentence
–noun, plural sperm, sperms for 2.
1. semen.
2. a male reproductive cell; spermatozoon.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME sperme < LL sperma < Gk spérma seed, equiv. to sper- (base of speírein to sow seeds) + -ma n. suffix of result
How To Get Pregnant
A Complete Guide to Information On Becoming Pregnant & Being Ready!
www.fitpregnancy.com
Tips on Getting Pregnant
I thought I was infertile for 5 years, then discovered this secret!
www.TipsForGettingPregnant.net

sperm

2  [spurm] ,
–noun
1. spermaceti.
2. sperm whale.
3. sperm oil.
Origin:
1830–40; by shortening

sperm-

 
var. of spermo- before a vowel: spermine.

-sperm

 
a combining form with the meaning “one having seeds” of the kind specified by the initial element: gymnosperm.
Origin:
< Gk -spermos; see -spermous

spermo-

 
a combining form of sperm 1 , used also with the meaning “seed,” “germ,” “semen,” in the formation of compound words: spermophyte.
Also, especially before a vowel, sperm-.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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sperm 1   (spûrm)   
n.   pl. sperm or sperms

  1. A male gamete or reproductive cell; a spermatozoon.

  2. Semen.


[Middle English sperme, semen, from Old French esperme, from Late Latin sperma, from Greek; see sper- in Indo-European roots.]
sperm'ous adj.
sperm 2   (spûrm)   
n.  A substance, such as spermaceti, associated with the sperm whale.

[Short for spermaceti.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

sperm

The male sex cell, typically consisting of a head, midpiece, and tail. (See fertilization.)

Note: Sperm are much smaller than the ova they fertilize.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

sperm 
c.1386, probably from O.Fr. esperme, from L.L. sperma "seed, semen," from Gk. sperma "seed," from speirein "to sow, scatter," from PIE *sper- "to strew" (see sprout). Spermatozoon "male sexual cell" is an 1836 formation from Gk. spermato-, combining form of sperma (gen. spermatos) + zoion "animal." Sperm bank is attested from 1963. Spermicide (n.) first recorded 1929.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: sperm
Pronunciation: 'sp&rm
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural sperm or sperms
1 : the maleimpregnating fluid : SEMEN
2 : a male gamete
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

sperm (spûrm)
n. pl sperm or sperms

  1. A male gamete or reproductive cell; a spermatozoon.

  2. Semen.

sperm- pref.
Variant of spermi-.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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