noun
spore
SPOR/spɔːr/
A cell that can develop into a new fungus, plant, or microorganism.
One mushroom spore begins germinating into a fine fungal filament.
Etymology
Greek spora meant “seed” or “sowing.” The biological term originally named reproductive bodies in flowerless plants that corresponded to seeds in flowering plants, linking the tiny cell to seed-like reproduction.
In context
we have the plant that grew from a spore
More examples
- The mushroom releases spores from the underside of its cap.
- Mosses spread by spores rather than seeds.
- A mold spore begins to grow on the damp bread.
Forms
spore · spores
sporulation noun — The process of producing or forming spores.