Embryology
/ˌɛm.briˈɒ.lə.dʒi/noun
The branch of biology that studies embryos and their development.
Did you know?The core Greek word embryo originally meant a developing young creature, from embryein, “to swell,” a vivid image of life “pushing outward” before birth.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἔμβρυον (émbruon)
“an unborn or developing young creature, especially in the womb”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἐμβρύειν (embryein)
“to swell or grow within”
Late Greek
Greek
-λογία (-logia)
“study, discourse, or systematic knowledge”
16th-17th Century
New Latin
embryologia
“study of embryos”
18th Century
English
embryology
“the scientific study of embryonic development”