Ovo

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to or resembling eggs; pertaining to the female gamete or ovum in biology; characteristic of egg-shaped objects or structures
2. Connected with eggs or their formation; describing the reproductive cell in animals and plants; resembling the shape or form of an egg
3. Associated with ovules or eggs in anatomy and reproduction; signifying the female sex cell; having the qualities or appearance of an egg-shaped entity

Etymology: The word "ovo" is a Latin combining form meaning "egg," taken from the Latin noun "ovum," which means the same thing. English borrowed it as a prefix-like element in technical and scientific terms such as "ovoviviparous" and "ovovitellin," so it is not a standalone everyday word in English. Its root is ancient: "ovum" is the basis for many European words for egg and for the Latin stem "ov-" that also gave us "oval," since an oval is egg-shaped. Used on its own, "ovo" appears mostly as a combining form in English and as a complete word in Portuguese and Spanish, where it still means egg. That Romance usage is the same Latin word, carried directly into the modern languages.

Synonyms: egg-shaped, ovoid, ovate