oocyte

[ oh-uh-sahyt ]
/ ˈoʊ əˌsaɪt /

noun Cell Biology.

an immature egg cell of the animal ovary; in humans, one oocyte matures during the menstrual cycle, becoming an ootid and then an ovum, while several others partially mature and then disintegrate.

Origin of oocyte

First recorded in 1890–95; oo- + -cyte

Words nearby oocyte

onz, oo gauge, oo-, ooblast, oocyst, oocyte, oodles, oof, oogamete, oogamous, oogamy

British Dictionary definitions for oocyte

oocyte
/ (ˈəʊəˌsaɪt) /

noun

an immature female germ cell that gives rise to an ovum after two meiotic divisions

Medical definitions for oocyte

oocyte
[ ō′ə-sīt′ ]

n.

A cell from which an egg or ovum develops by meiosis; a female gametocyte.

Scientific definitions for oocyte

oocyte
[ ō′ə-sīt′ ]

A diploid cell that undergoes meiosis to form eggs.