spermo-
American-
a combining form of sperm, used also with the meaning “seed,” “germ,” “semen,” in the formation of compound words.
spermophyte.
Usage
What does spermo- mean? Spermo- is a combining form used like a prefix representing “sperm.” Sperm are the reproductive cells contained in semen. Spermo- means "sperm" both literally and figuratively, as in "germ" or "seed." It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology.Spermo- comes from the Greek spérma, meaning “seed.”What are variants of spermo-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, spermo- becomes sperm-, as in spermous.The forms spermi- and spermato- 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.
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.