Isolecithal
/ˌaɪs.oʊˈlɛs.ɪ.θəl/noun
Having yolk distributed relatively evenly throughout an egg cell, as in many eggs with little yolk.
Did you know?The word combines Greek isos, “equal,” with lekithos, “yolk,” the same ancient root that later produced lecithin, a major component of cell membranes.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wīso-
“Equal or corresponding; the ancestral root associated with Greek isos.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
isos
“Equal, even, or alike.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
lekithos
“Yolk, especially egg yolk.”
19th Century
Scientific Greek
lecith-
“A combining form referring to yolk, derived from Greek lekithos.”
19th–20th Century
Scientific English
isolecithal
“Having yolk distributed evenly or nearly evenly through the egg cytoplasm.”
Modern English
Biology
isolecithal
“Describing an egg with a relatively uniform distribution of yolk.”
Explore more surprising origins