Meanings
nounembryophagy (uncountable)
- uncountableThe act of one embryo cannibalizing another for food in utero; at present only observed in some species of sharks.
Synonyms: adelphophagy, oophagy
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe act of one embryo cannibalizing another for food in utero; at present only observed in some species of sharks.
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Also see
Origin
- Latinembryo
- Englishembryophagy
From Latin embryo and the suffix -phagy (“to feed on”); 1948; created to describe the behavior of sandtiger shark embryos.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
embryophagy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embryophagy
MLA
“embryophagy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embryophagy. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “embryophagy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embryophagy.
Source: embryophagy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.