Definitions
Etymology
Pictograph of the scrotum of a male's penis. The meaning later shifted to "egg", "ovum", and "spawn".
About
卵 is a pictograph originally depicting a male's scrotum: the two symmetrical halves, each enclosing a dot, represent the testicles. Over time, the meaning shifted from this specific anatomical origin to the general concept of 'egg', 'ovum', and 'spawn', particularly the soft eggs of fish, insects, and amphibians, rather than the hard-shelled eggs of birds. This sense became the character's primary definition and now underpins its extensive use in biological and medical vocabulary, where it denotes an ovum, an ovary, and the early stages of embryonic development. The visual structure, though originally tied to male anatomy, proved flexible enough to accommodate the broader reproductive meanings that have defined 卵 throughout its history.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
河边有很多卵石。
青蛙在池塘产卵。
这些卵很快会孵化。
卵巢是女性的重要器官。
大多数鸟类都是卵生动物。
卵子和精子结合形成受精卵。
科学家正在研究如何保护濒危动物的卵。
在低温环境下，某些昆虫的卵可以进入休眠状态。
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.