[ spawr, spohr ]
/ spɔr, spoʊr /


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, spor·ing.

to bear or produce spores.



We salute you if you remember all the doovers from Word of the Day between May 25 and May 31!
Question 1 of 7

Origin of spore

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


spo·ral, adjectivespo·roid, adjectivein·ter·spor·al, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for spores

British Dictionary definitions for spores

/ (spɔː) /


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


(intr) to produce, carry, or release spores

Word Origin for spore

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

Medical definitions for spores

[ spôr ]


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.

Other words from spore

spo•raceous (spə-rāshəs, spô-) adj.

Scientific definitions for spores

[ 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.

Cultural definitions for spores


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.
