spermato-
American-
a combining form meaning “seed”; used with this meaning and as a combining form of sperm in the formation of compound words.
spermatogonium.
combining form
-
indicating sperm
spermatogenesis
-
indicating seed
spermatophyte
Usage
What does spermato- mean? Spermato- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “seed" and “sperm.” Sperm are the reproductive cells contained in semen. Spermato- is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology in reference to the reproductive cycles of plants and animals.Spermato- comes from the Greek spérma, meaning “sperm.”What are variants of spermato-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, spermato- becomes spermat-, as in spermaturia.The forms sperm-, spermi-, and spermo- are also combining forms from Greek spérma that are variously used to mean "sperm" or "seed."Related combining forms used as suffixes include -sperm, -spermal, -spermic, and -spermous.Want to learn more? Check out our Words That Use entries for each of these seven forms.
Etymology
Origin of spermato-
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.