sperm
sperm — 名詞
- spermsingular
- spermsplural
1. a microscopic male sex cell that carries genetic information and can unite with
精子
雄性生物的生殖細胞
a microscopic male sex cell that carries genetic information and can unite with an ovum to begin the development of a new organism.
Under a microscope, Tara watched sperm cells swim toward the egg during biology lab.
在顯微鏡下，Tara 觀察到精子細胞在生物實驗課上游向卵子。
collocation: sperm cells
During health class, Kevin learned that a male body makes about 1,500 new sperm a second.
在健康課上，Kevin 學到男性身體每秒大約產生 1500 個精子。
countable plural: 1,500 sperm
Ari showed that one sperm holds half the DNA for a new life at school.
Ari 在學校展示一個精子攜帶著新生命所需的一半 DNA。
In mammals, only one sperm can successfully fertilise a single egg cell.
在哺乳類動物中，只有一個精子能成功使一個卵細胞受精。
grammar: one sperm (singular countable)
- produce sperm
- carry sperm
- fertilise an egg with sperm
- sperm count
- sperm cell
- sperm donor
- sperm bank
- sperm sample
- donate sperm
- freeze sperm
- male gamete
the strictly biological term used in academic and medical writing
- sex cell
a more general term that can refer to either sperm or egg; less specific
- egg (ovum)
the female reproductive cell that a sperm joins with during fertilisation
文法句型
sperm cell
countable: a / one sperm
用法筆記
Countable when referring to individual cells: 'a sperm', 'one sperm', 'millions of sperm'. Less commonly pluralised as 'sperms' in non-technical contexts.
常見錯誤
2. the white liquid containing sperm cells that is released from the male body duri
精液
雄性體內含精子的液體
the white liquid containing sperm cells that is released from the male body during sex — used informally instead of the medical term 'semen'.
The fertility clinic asked Luca to provide a sperm sample for analysis.
生育診所要求 Luca 提供精液樣本進行分析。
uncountable: a sperm sample
Caio's doctor said healthy sperm can survive in the body for five days.
Caio 的醫生說健康的精子可以在女性體內存活五天。
uncountable mass noun; informal register
After the exam, the nurse said the sperm sample appeared healthy under a microscope.
檢查結束後，護士說顯微鏡下的精液樣本看起來很健康。
the sperm (as mass noun = semen)
Dewi's nurse said a man's diet and exercise during fertility care affect sperm quality.
Dewi 的護士說男性的飲食和運動在生育期間會影響精液品質。
uncountable; sperm quality
- sperm sample
- sperm analysis
- sperm donation
- traces of sperm
- sperm testing
文法句型
used as a mass noun: some sperm
no plural form for this sense
用法筆記
In medical or formal contexts, use 'semen' instead. This informal sense treats 'sperm' as an uncountable mass noun referring to the liquid, not the individual cells.
sperm — 構詞成分
1. a front part added to scientific words, coming from a Greek word for 'seed', use
精；種子
來自希臘語'種子'的生物學字首
a front part added to scientific words, coming from a Greek word for 'seed', used to talk about the male reproductive system or the production of sperm cells.
In biology class, Tomás learned that spermatogenesis creates mature sperm in the testicles.
在生物課上，Tomás 學到 spermatogenesis 是在睪丸內產生成熟精子的過程。
example compound: spermatogenesis
The nurse said spermicide is a gel that kills sperm inside the vagina after sex.
護士說 spermicide 是一種在性行為後於陰道內殺死精子的凝膠。
example compound: spermicide
Indra learned that a spermatozoon has a DNA-packed head and a swimming tail.
Indra 學到 spermatozoon 有裝滿 DNA 的頭部和一條用於游泳的尾巴。
example compound: spermatozoon
Cyrus's professor said on a field trip that spermatophytes include trees, flowers, and grass.
Cyrus 的教授在戶外教學時說 spermatophytes 包括樹木、花卉和草。
example compound: spermatophytes
- spermatogenesis
- spermicide
- spermatozoon
- spermatophyte
- spermatophore
文法句型
sperm- + [noun suffix]
used in scientific compound words
用法筆記
As a combining form, 'sperm-' cannot stand alone as an independent word in this sense. It attaches to Greek or Latin suffixes to form technical biological terms.
常見錯誤
同根字
- spermatic形容詞C1
- spermatozoon名詞C1
- spermicide名詞C1
- spermatogenesis名詞C2
- spermatozoid名詞C2
常見搭配
名詞搭配
- sperm count — the number of sperm cells in a sample of semen
- sperm donor — a man who provides sperm for fertility treatment
- sperm bank — a facility that stores frozen sperm for later use
- sperm cell — an individual male reproductive cell
- sperm sample — a specimen of semen provided for testing
- sperm motility — the ability of sperm to swim properly
- sperm whale — a large whale species (unrelated to reproductive meaning; from an older sense of 'sperm' referring to a waxy substance)