zygote

Meanings

Plural: zygotes

Noun

(genetics) the diploid cell resulting from the union of a haploid spermatozoon and ovum (including the organism that develops from that cell)
A eukaryotic cell formed from the fusion of two gametes (“reproductive cells”) during a fertilization process.

Origin / Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ζῠγωτός (zŭgōtós, “yoked”) + English -ote (suffix meaning ‘having [the thing to which it is attached]’). Ζῠγωτός (Zŭgōtós) is derived from ζῠγόω (zŭgóō, “to join or yoke together”) + -τός (-tós, suffix forming adjectives of possibility); and ζῠγόω (zŭgóō) from ζῠγόν (zŭgón, “yoke for joining animals; anything which joins two things together”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *yewg- (“to tie together, join, yoke”)) + -όω (-óō, suffix forming causative or factitive verbs). By surface analysis, zygo- + -ote.

Synonyms

fertilized ovum

Scrabble Score: 19

zygote is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
zygote is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
zygote is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 19

zygote is a valid Words With Friends word