em·bryo
ˈem-brē-ˌō 
plural embryos
1
a
: an animal in the early stages of growth and differentiation that are characterized by cleavage, the laying down of fundamental tissues, and the formation of primitive organs and organ systems
especially
: the developing human individual from the time of implantation to the end of the eighth week after conception
b
archaic
: a vertebrate at any stage of development prior to birth or hatching
2
: the young sporophyte of a seed plant usually comprising a rudimentary plant with plumule, radicle, and cotyledons
3
a
: something as yet undeveloped
b
: a beginning or undeveloped state of something
productions seen in embryo during their out-of-town tryout period—
Henry Hewes
Henry Hewes
: embryo
embryogeny
Examples of embryo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebNathaniel Percy, Orange County Register, 23 Apr. 2024
First, are embryos property, as opposed to the product of a service offering?
—Ron Lieber, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Noor Siddiqui is the 29-year-old founder and CEO of fertility startup Orchid that screens embryos for their likelihood of developing 1,200 different diseases and conditions.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
The Mobile Infirmary Medical Center was the focus of two lawsuits from couples whose frozen embryos were dropped and destroyed in 2020.
—Sara Moniuszko, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
If enacted, that legislation could have threatened access to IVF, during which embryos are often discarded or stored for years.
—Lexie Schapitl, NPR, 2 Apr. 2024
The answer, which holds much consequence in a post-Roe world, depends on the state where that embryo resides.
—Rachel Hatzipanagos, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
The lengthy and expensive process of surrogacy was difficult for Andrews and her husband, particularly because of their embryo issues.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 28 Mar. 2024
The Alabama top court issued the controversial ruling that frozen embryos are children in February – a first for the United States.
—Brammhi Balarajan, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Noun
Ovation Fertility hired inexperienced, unqualified and untrained employees to handle embryos in the incubators, the suit alleges.
—Nathaniel Percy, Orange County Register, 23 Apr. 2024
First, are embryos property, as opposed to the product of a service offering?
—Ron Lieber, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Noor Siddiqui is the 29-year-old founder and CEO of fertility startup Orchid that screens embryos for their likelihood of developing 1,200 different diseases and conditions.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
The Mobile Infirmary Medical Center was the focus of two lawsuits from couples whose frozen embryos were dropped and destroyed in 2020.
—Sara Moniuszko, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
If enacted, that legislation could have threatened access to IVF, during which embryos are often discarded or stored for years.
—Lexie Schapitl, NPR, 2 Apr. 2024
The answer, which holds much consequence in a post-Roe world, depends on the state where that embryo resides.
—Rachel Hatzipanagos, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
The lengthy and expensive process of surrogacy was difficult for Andrews and her husband, particularly because of their embryo issues.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 28 Mar. 2024
The Alabama top court issued the controversial ruling that frozen embryos are children in February – a first for the United States.
—Brammhi Balarajan, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'embryo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Embryo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embryo. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
embryo
noun
em·bryo
ˈem-brē-ˌō
plural embryos
1
: an animal in the early stages of development that are marked by cleavage, the laying down of the basic tissues, and the formation of primitive organs and organ systems compare fetus
2
: a tiny young plant within a seed
3
: a beginning or undeveloped stage
—used especially in the phrase in embryo
Medical Definition
embryo
noun
em·bryo
ˈem-brē-ˌō
plural embryos
1
archaic
: a vertebrate at any stage of development prior to birth or hatching
2
: an animal in the early stages of growth and differentiation that are characterized by cleavage, the laying down of fundamental tissues, and the formation of primitive organs and organ systems
especially
: the developing human individual from the time of implantation to the end of the eighth week after conception compare fetus
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