polyspermy Phys.
(ˈpɒlɪspɜːmɪ)
[mod. ad. Gr. πολυσπερµία abundance of seed, f. πολύσπερµ-ος: see polysperm a. Cf. F. polyspermie.]
Impregnation of an ovum by more than one spermatozoon.
| 1889 Geddes & Thomson Evol. Sex 34 It has, however, been shown..that ‘polyspermy’, or the entrance of more than one sperm, is extremely rare. 1904 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 17 Dec. 1643 The phenomenon of polyspermy or the fertilization of the ovum by more than one spermatozoon, the cause, according to modern ideas, of double monsters. |