protospore
/ˈprəʊtə(ʊ)spɔː/noun
1 Mycology. Originally: an early stage in fungal spore development believed to be analogous to the prothallus in ferns. In later use: specifically a uninucleate segment formed by the cleavage of a multinucleate mass of cytoplasm from which the spore or sporangium develops.
2 Biology. In a slime mould: a uninucleate segment of a multinucleate fruiting body from which the spore develops.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Mordecai Cooke (1825–1914), naturalist and mycologist. From proto- + spore.
- passage boat
- passage-gallery
- passage grave
- passage hawk
- passage migrant
- passage money
- passage of (or at) arms
- passager
- passagere
- passage thermometer
- passageway
- passagework
- Passaic
- passalid
- Passamaquoddy
- Passamaquoddy Bay
- passament
- passamezzo
- passant
- passarado
- passaree
- passarelle
- passata
- passatempo
- pass away