/ ˈembriəʊ; NAmE -brioʊ/ noun
( pl. -os ) a young animal or plant in the very early stages of development before birth, or before coming out of its egg or seed, especially a human egg in the first eight weeks after fertilization :
human embryos
( figurative )
the embryo of an idea
an embryo politician (= one who is not yet very experienced)
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IDIOMS
- in embryo
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : via late Latin from Greek embruon fetus, from em- into + bruein swell, grow.