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embryo noun

Click to hear the UK pronunciation of this wordClick to hear the US pronunciation of this word/ˈem.bri.əʊ//-oʊ/ n [C] (plural embryos)

Definition

an animal that is developing either in its mother's womb or in an egg, or a plant that is developing in a seed
Between the eighth week of development and birth a human embryo is called a foetus.
in embryo formal
developing and not yet complete
The department's plans for enlargement are still in embryo.

(Definition of embryo noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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