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Webster 1913 Edition

Spore

Spore

(spōr)
,
Noun.
[Gr. [GREEK] a sowing, seed, from [GREEK] to sow. Cf.
Sperm
.]
1.
(Bot.)
(a)
One of the minute grains in flowerless plants, which are analogous to seeds, as serving to reproduce the species.
☞ Spores are produced differently in the different classes of cryptogamous plants, and as regards their nature are often so unlike that they have only their minuteness in common. The peculiar spores of diatoms (called
auxospores
) increase in size, and at length acquire a siliceous coating, thus becoming new diatoms of full size. Compare
Macrospore
,
Microspore
,
Oospore
,
Resting spore
,
Sphaerospore
,
Swarmspore
,
Tetraspore
,
Zoospore
, and
Zygospore
.
(b)
An embryo sac or embryonal vesicle in the ovules of flowering plants.
2.
(Biol.)
(a)
A minute grain or germ; a small, round or ovoid body, formed in certain organisms, and by germination giving rise to a new organism;
as, the reproductive
spores
of bacteria, etc.
(b)
One of the parts formed by fission in certain Protozoa. See
Spore formation
, belw.
Spore formation
.
(a)
(Biol)
A mode of reproduction resembling multiple fission, common among Protozoa, in which the organism breaks up into a number of pieces, or spores, each of which eventually develops into an organism like the parent form.
Balfour.
(b)
The formation of reproductive cells or spores, as in the growth of bacilli.

Definition 2024

Spore

Spore

See also: spore and S'pore

German

Noun

Spore f ‎(genitive Spore, plural Sporen)

  1. spore

spore

spore

See also: Spore and S'pore

English

Noun

spore ‎(plural spores)

  1. A reproductive particle, usually a single cell, released by a fungus, alga, or plant that may germinate into another.
  2. A thick resistant particle produced by a bacterium or protist to survive in harsh or unfavorable conditions.

Related terms

Translations

See also

Verb

spore ‎(third-person singular simple present spores, present participle sporing, simple past and past participle spored)

  1. To produce spores.

Anagrams

Danish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /spoːrə/, [ˈsb̥oːɐ]

Etymology 1

Noun

spore c (singular definite sporen, plural indefinite sporer)

  1. spore (reproductive particle)
  2. spore (resistant particle produced by bacterium or protist)
  3. spur (a rigid implement, often roughly y-shaped, that is fixed to one's heel for purpose of prodding a horse)
  4. spur (anything that inspires or motivates, as a spur does to a horse)
  5. spur (an appendage or spike pointing rearward, near the foot, for instance that of a rooster)
Inflection

Etymology 2

  • (to spur):, from spore ‎(“spur”).
  • (to trace):, from spor ‎(“track, trail, scent”).

Verb

spore ‎(imperative spor, infinitive at spore, present tense sporer, past tense sporede, perfect tense er/har sporet)

  1. spur (to prod)
  2. spur (to urge or encourage to action, or to a more vigorous pursuit of an object; to incite; to stimulate; to instigate; to impel; to drive)
  3. trace (to follow the trail of)
  4. scent (to detect the scent of)
  5. feel, notice, perceive
Synonyms
  • (to spur): anspore
  • (to scent, trace): opspore

See also

Italian

Noun

spore f

  1. plural of spora

Anagrams

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From the noun spor

Verb

spore ‎(imperative spor, present tense sporer, passive spores, simple past spora or sporet or sporte, past participle spora or sporet or sport, present participle sporende)

  1. to trace, track

Derived terms

References

Etymology

From Modern Latin spora, from Ancient Greek σπορά ‎(sporá, “seed, a sowing”), related to σπόρος ‎(spóros, “sowing”) and σπείρω ‎(speírō, “to sow”), from Proto-Indo-European *sper- ‎(“to strew”) (compare English spread).

Pronunciation

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