embryo

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 →
2. The tiny part inside a seed that will grow into a new plant. tree →
3. (in embryo) Something at a very early stage that may develop later, like an idea. tree →

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 →
• Inside the bean seed is a tiny embryo. tree →
• A human embryo is smaller than a grain of rice at first. tree →
• We saw a picture of a frog embryo in the jelly. tree →
• The idea for our club was only an embryo then. tree →
• The embryo gets food from the yolk. tree →

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.