spawn - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about spawn Printer Friendly
The Free Dictionary
990,733,570 visitors served.
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

spawn

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.03 sec.

spawn

Extruded egg mass of such egg-laying animals as fish, amphibians, and molluscs.

Spawn is produced in very variable quantities (for example, the ling lays about 150,000,000 eggs, and the American oyster 60,000,000 eggs) and is much preyed upon, even, as in the case of the stickleback, by the female herself. A variety of means have been devised for its protection.

In fish, spawning is the reproductive phase, variously involving aggregation of the fish, courtship, extrusion of eggs and sperm into the water, and fertilization of the eggs. Large migrations may precede spawning, as in salmon and herring. In some groups the spawn is not released, fertilization being internal.

The name is also sometimes given to the mycelium of mushrooms and other fungi, seen as white threads in decaying matter.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
 Email
Feedback
?Sign in SSL protected
Email:
Password:
Register

? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
No more than your work people mean here, whose crowning stupidity is their continuing to beget more stupid spawn for the slavery of the masters.
The Valley of the Moon by London, Jack View in context
"Some cursed witch must have stolen my brother's child from the cradle and put that spawn of a starved devil in its place," Dominic would say to me.
The Mirror of the Sea by Conrad, Joseph View in context
Put the case that pretty nigh all the children he saw in his daily business life, he had reason to look upon as so much spawn, to develop into the fish that were to come to his net - to be prosecuted, defended, forsworn, made orphans, bedevilled somehow.
Great Expectations by Dickens, Charles View in context
More results
 
Hutchinson browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Hutchinson Encyclopedia
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2008 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.