[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/embryo/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [E](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/e/) / embryo

# embryo

noun (an embryo, embryos)

«embryo» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A living thing at a very early stage of growing, before it is born or hatches: inside an egg, a seed or its mother's womb. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/embryo/#m1)
2. The tiny part inside a seed that will grow into a new plant. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/embryo/#m2)
3. (in embryo) Something at a very early stage that may develop later, like an idea. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/embryo/#m3)

### In the lessons

In science, pupils learn that a chick embryo grows inside an egg, a human embryo grows in the womb, and a bean seed contains an embryo that grows into a plant. In everyday talk, «a plan in embryo» means it has only just started. Phrases: «in embryo», «a chick embryo», «embryo plant».

### Examples

- A chick embryo grows inside the egg for three weeks. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/embryo/#x1)
- Inside the bean seed is a tiny embryo. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/embryo/#x2)
- A human embryo is smaller than a grain of rice at first. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/embryo/#x3)
- We saw a picture of a frog embryo in the jelly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/embryo/#x4)
- The idea for our club was only an embryo then. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/embryo/#x5)
- The embryo gets food from the yolk. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/embryo/#x6)

### Note

Countable; plural: embryos (no «e»). Pronounced «EM-bree-oh». Adjective: embryonic. In humans, after about eight weeks it is called a foetus (US: fetus). This is a topic where people hold different moral and religious views.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «embryo» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/embryo/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«embryo» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/embryo.html) on Mova free.