%sperm%

n. [ Angio- + Gr. &unr_;, &unr_;, seed. ] (Bot.) A plant which has its seeds inclosed in a pericarp. Contrasted with gymnosperm. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The term is restricted to exogenous plants, and applied to one of the two grand divisions of these species, the other division including gymnosperms, or those which have naked seeds. The oak, apple, beech, etc., are angiosperms, while the pines, spruce, hemlock, and the allied varieties, are gymnosperms. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Bot.) Same as Angiospermous. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Bot.) Having seeds inclosed in a pod or other pericarp. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_;, &unr_;, seed. ] (Bot.) Aspermous. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;; 'a priv. + &unr_; seed. ] (Bot.) Destitute of seeds; aspermatous. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_; curved + &unr_; seed. ] (Bot.) Having seeds grooved lengthwise on the inner face, as in sweet cicely. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. A genus of tendril-climbing herbs or shrubs whose seeds have a white heart-shaped spot.
Syn. -- genus Cardiospermum. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. a genus consisting of one species, the Moreton Bay chestnut.
Syn. -- genus Castanospermum. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. used in former classification systems; approximately synonymous with order Caryophyllales.
Syn. -- group Centrospermae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Gr. chryso`s gold + &unr_; seed. ] The seed of gold; a means of creating gold. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. koi^los hollow + &unr_; seed. ] (Bot.) Hollow-seeded; having the ventral face of the seedlike carpels incurved at the ends, as in coriander seed. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. di- = dis + spe`rma seed, fr. spei`rein to sow: cf. F. disperme. ] (Bot.) Containing only two seeds; two-seeded. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Endo- + Gr. &unr_; seed. ] (Bot.) The albumen of a seed; -- limited by recent writers to that formed within the embryo sac. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Bot.) Relating to, accompanied by, or containing, endosperm. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. 'enne`a + spe`rma seed. ] (Bot.) Having nine seeds; -- said of fruits.

a. [ Gr. 'epi` + fy`llon leaf + spe`rma seed. ] (Bot.) Bearing fruit on the back of the leaves, as ferns. Harris (1710). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. epi- + Gr. &unr_; seed: cf. F. épisperme. ] (Bot.) The skin or coat of a seed, especially the outer coat. See Testa. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Bot.) Pertaining, or belonging, to the episperm, or covering of a seed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A plant that bears naked seeds (i. e., seeds not inclosed in an ovary), as the common pine and hemlock. Cf. Angiosperm. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. gymno`spermos; gymno`s naked + spe`rma seed: cf. F. gymnosperme. ] (Bot.) (a) Having naked seeds, or seeds not inclosed in a capsule or other vessel. (b) Belonging to the class of plants consisting of gymnosperms. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Hepta- + Gr. &unr_; a seed. ] (Bot.) Having seven seeds. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. me`las, me`lanos, black + spe`rma seed. ] (Bot.) An alga of any kind that produces blackish spores, or seed dust. The melanosperms include the rockweeds and all kinds of kelp. -- Mel`a*no*sper"mous a. [1913 Webster]

a. [ Gr. mh`nh the moon + spe`rma seed. ] (Bot.) Pertaining to a natural order (Menispermaceae) of climbing plants of which moonseed (Menispermum) is the type. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or obtained from, moonseed (Menispermum), or other plants of the same family, as the Anamirta Cocculus. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. ménispermine. ] (Chem.) An alkaloid distinct from picrotoxin and obtained from the cocculus indicus (the fruit of Anamirta Cocculus, formerly Menispermum Cocculus) as a white, crystalline, tasteless powder; -- called also menispermina. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Meso- + Gr. &unr_; seed: cf. F. mésosperme. ] (Bot.) A membrane of a seed. See Secundine. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A monospermous plant. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Mono- + Gr. spe`rma seed: cf. F. monosperme. ] (Bot.) Having only one seed. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Octo- + Gr. &unr_; seed. ] (Bot.) Containing eight seeds. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Oligo- + Gr. spe`rma a seed. ] (Bot.) Having few seeds. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. w, 'o`n an egg + E. sperm. ] (Biol.) The ovum, after fusion with the spermatozoon in impregnation. Balfour. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Ortho- + Gr. &unr_; seed. ] (Bot.) Having the seeds straight, as in the fruits of some umbelliferous plants; -- opposed to coelospermous. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to panspermy; as, the panspermic hypothesis. [ 1913 Webster ]

Same as panspermia. [ PJC ]

{ } n. (Biol.) A believer in panspermy; one who rejects the theory of spontaneous generation; a biogenist. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pan- + Gr. &unr_; a seed. ] (Biol.) (a) The doctrine of the widespread distribution of germs, from which under favorable circumstances bacteria, vibrios, etc., may develop. (b) The doctrine that all organisms must come from living parents; biogenesis; -- the opposite of spontaneous generation. (c) The theory that life on earth originated from spores or germs that evolved elsewhere in the uiniverse; -- in contradistinction to the theory that life evolved on earth from inanimate matter. This theory, originally suggested by S. Arrhenius in 1907, is sometimes advanced by those who feel that the time required for evolution of life is too long for life to have evolved on Earth from inanimate matter. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

a. [ Penta- + Gr. &unr_; seed. ] (Bot.) Containing five seeds. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. périsperme. See Peri-, and Sperm. ] (Bot.) The albumen of a seed, especially that portion which is formed outside of the embryo sac. -- Per`i*sper"mic a. [1913 Webster]

n. [ Podo- + Gr. &unr_; seed: cf. F. podosperme. ] (Bot.) The stalk of a seed or ovule. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;; poly`s many + &unr_; seed. ] (Bot.) Containing many seeds; as, a polyspermous capsule or berry. Martyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Biol.) Fullness of sperm, or seed; the passage of more than one spermatozoon into the vitellus in the impregnation of the ovum. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; itching + &unr_; seed. ] (Zool.) A minute parasite, usually the young of Gregarinæ, in the pseudonavicula stage. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. "ro`don the rose + spe`rma a seed.] (Bot.) Any seaweed with red spores. [1913 Webster]

☞ As the name of a subclass, Rhodosperms, or Rhodospermeae, is synonymous with Florideae (which see.) [1913 Webster]

n.[ F. sperme, L. sperma, Gr. &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;, &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;, from &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;&unr_; to sow. Cf. Spore. ] (Physiol.) The male fecundating fluid; semen. See Semen. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sperm cell (Physiol.), one of the cells from which the spermatozoids are developed. --
Sperm morula. (Biol.) Same as Spermosphere. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.[ Contr. fr. spermaceti. ] Spermaceti. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sperm oil, a fatty oil found as a liquid, with spermaceti, in the head cavities of the sperm whale. --
Sperm whale. (Zool.) See in the Vocabulary. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. sperma sperm + cetus, gen. ceti, any large sea animal, a whale, Gr. &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;. See Sperm, Cetaceous. ] A white waxy substance obtained from cavities in the head of the sperm whale, and used making candles, oilments, cosmetics, etc. It consists essentially of ethereal salts of palmitic acid with ethal and other hydrocarbon bases. The substance of spermaceti after the removal of certain impurities is sometimes called cetin. [ 1913 Webster ]

Spermaceti whale (Zool.), the sperm whale. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Biol.) See Spermist. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;&unr_; sperm + fe`rein to bear. ] (Bot.) That part of the ovary from which the ovules arise; the placenta. [ 1913 Webster ]