micropyle
UK /ˈmaɪ.kɹəʊˌpaɪl/ · US /ˈmaɪ.kɹoʊˌpaɪl/ noun
Forms micropyles
- noun (botany) In seed-bearing plants, a small opening in the integuments of the ovule through which sperm are able to access the ovum.
- noun (zoology) The hilum of an ovum at the point of attachment to the ovary; any opening in the coverings of an ovum by which spermatozoa may find entrance.
Etymology
From French, from Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós, “small”) + πύλη (púlē, “gate”).
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [Micro- + Gr. micropyle.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “micropyle”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details