What does "oogamy" mean?
A form of anisogamy (heterogamy) in which the female gamete (e.g. ovum) is significantly larger than the male gamete (sperm) and is non-motile.
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "oogamy" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "oogamy" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "oogamy" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Check whether "oogamy" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
Compare it with a nearby word before publishing so the final choice matches the reader's expectations.
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Before publishing a sentence with "oogamy", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
"Isogamy is considered to be the most primitive and oogamy the most advanced type of sexual reproduction. The evolution from isogamy to oogamy through unisogamy is seen in different groups of the Chlorophyceae. Since oogamy has arisen quite independently in several groups, sometimes even within the limits of a single genus (e.g., Chlamydymonas), not much phylogenetic significance can be attached to it."
"Isogamy is considered to be the most primitive and oogamy the most advanced type of sexual reproduction. The evolution from isogamy to oogamy through unisogamy is seen in different groups of the Chlorophyceae. Since oogamy has arisen quite independently in several groups, sometimes even within the limits of a single genus (e.g., Chlamydymonas), not much phylogenetic significance can be attached to it."
A form of anisogamy (heterogamy) in which the female gamete (e.g. ovum) is significantly larger than the male gamete (sperm) and is non-motile.
Isogamy is considered to be the most primitive and oogamy the most advanced type of sexual reproduction. The evolution from isogamy to oogamy through unisogamy is seen in different groups of the Chlorophyceae. Since oogamy has arisen quite independently in several groups, sometimes even within the limits of a single genus (e.g., Chlamydymonas), not much phylogenetic significance can be attached to it.
Pronounced /oʊˈɒɡəmi/.
From oo- + -gamy.