spore

[spawr, spohr] /spɔr, spoʊr/

noun

Biology. a walled, single- to many-celled, reproductive body of an organism, capable of giving rise to a new individual either directly or indirectly.

a germ, germ cell, seed, or the like.

verb (used without object), spored, sporing.

to bear or produce spores.

Origin

1830-40; < Neo-Latin spora < Greek sporá sowing, seed, akin to speírein to sow; see sperm¹

Related forms

sporal, adjective

sporoid, adjective

intersporal, adjective

-spore

variant of sporo-, as final element of compound words:

teliospore.

Examples from the web for spore

Topics will also include mushroom cultivation, and how to make spore prints to identify mushroom species.
All it would take is for a single spore, barely bigger than a red blood cell, to latch onto the shirt of an oblivious traveler.
But new research suggests that there is one key determinant in how deadly a fungal infection is going to be: spore size.
The spore coat modification argues strongly against the use of solid particles during the treatment process.
Clostridium botulinum is a spore-forming organism that is common in nature.
Place one on a piece of colored paper overnight and you'll find a white spore print the next day.
In some cases, moving out of a home with a mold spore problem may be necessary.
Which actually brings up such basic organisms that can hibernate or enter some kind of spore state.
Tucker:Anthrax is a bacterium, but when it's exposed to air, it forms a spore resembling a seed.
To make a spore print, cut the stem off the mushroom and place the cap gill-side or pore-side down on a piece of white paper.

British Dictionary definitions for spore

spore

/spɔː/

noun

a reproductive body, produced by bacteria, fungi, various plants, and some protozoans, that develops into a new individual. A sexual spore is formed after the fusion of gametes and an asexual spore is the result of asexual reproduction

a germ cell, seed, dormant bacterium, or similar body

verb

(intransitive) to produce, carry, or release spores

Word Origin

C19: from New Latin spora, from Greek: a sowing; related to Greek speirein to sow

Word Origin and History for spore

1836, from Modern Latin spora, from Greek spora "seed, a sowing," related to sporos "sowing," and speirein "to sow," from PIE *sper- "to strew" (see sprout (v.)).

spore in Medicine

spore (spôr)
n.

A small, usually single-celled asexual or sexual reproductive body that is highly resistant to desiccation and heat and is capable of growing into a new organism, produced especially by certain bacteria, fungi, algae, and nonflowering plants.
A dormant, nonreproductive body formed by certain bacteria in response to adverse environmental conditions.

spo·ra'ceous (spə-rā'shəs, spô-) adj.

spore in Science

spore

(spôr)

A usually one-celled reproductive body that can grow into a new organism without uniting with another cell. Spores are haploid (having only a single set of chromosomes). Fungi, algae, seedless plants, and certain protozoans reproduce asexually by spores. Plant spores that are dispersed by the wind have walls containing sporopollenin.
See more at alternation of generations.
A similar one-celled body in seed-bearing plants; the macrospore or microspore. The macrospore of seed-bearing plants develops into a female gametophyte or megagametophyte, which is contained within the ovule and eventually produces the egg cells. (The megagametophyte is also called the embryo sac in angiosperms.) The microspore of seed-bearing plants develops into the male microgametophyte or pollen grain. See endospore.

spore in Culture

spore definition

A reproductive cell or group of cells, produced by some plants, that is capable of developing into an adult plant without combining with another reproductive cell. Plants also produce sperm cells. The spores of nonflowering plants are analogous to the seeds of flowering plants. (See asexual reproduction; compare sexual reproduction.) Fungi and algae typically reproduce by means of spores that are carried by the wind or some other agency to a new location for growth.