/em"bree oh'/ , n. , pl. embryos , adj.
n.
1. the young of a viviparous animal, esp. of a mammal, in the early stages of development within the womb, in humans up to the end of the second month. Cf. fetus .
2. Bot. the rudimentary plant usually contained in the seed.
3. any multicellular animal in a developmental stage preceding birth or hatching.
4. the beginning or rudimentary stage of anything: He charged that the party policy was socialism in embryo.
adj.
5. embryonic.
[ 1580-90; embryon-, embryo émbryon, n. use of neut. of émbryos ingrowing, equiv. to em- EM- 2 + bry- (s. of brýein to swell) + -os adj. suffix ]