ovary
UK[ˈəʊvəri]US[ˈoʊvəri]
n
One of the two organs in a female animal that produce eggs and female hormones.
n
The part of a flowering plant that contains the ovules and develops into the fruit after fertilization.
Morpheme Breakdown
ov
ary
ov
egg
ary
relating to
Etymology
The word 'ovary' is a modern scientific term constructed from classical Latin components to precisely name a biological structure. Its core, ov-, derives directly from the Latin ovum (egg), a word of Proto-Indo-European origin related to concepts of birds and egg-laying. The suffix -ary, from Latin -arius, denotes "pertaining to" or "connected with." Thus, the term's literal construction as "that which pertains to eggs" logically and elegantly describes the organ's primary function of producing and housing egg cells (ova) in both animals and plants. This Latinate compounding provided a clear, descriptive terminology for anatomical and botanical science.
Analysis
Structure: ov (egg) + ary (relating to)
- ov: From Latin ovum, meaning "egg." It functions as the core root indicating the concept of an egg or egg cell.
- ary: A suffix of Latin origin (-arius), used to form adjectives and nouns meaning "connected with" or "pertaining to." In this word, it forms a noun denoting a thing associated with eggs.
Examples
A cyst was discovered on her left ovary during the routine ultrasound.
After pollination, the ovary of the flower begins to swell and mature into a fruit.
The hormones estrogen and progesterone are secreted by the ovaries.