opsiblastic

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adjective

Exhibiting a period of dormancy before starting to develop.

OriginAncient Greek ὀψέ →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

adjectiveopsiblastic (not comparable)
  1. not comparablebiologyExhibiting a period of dormancy before starting to develop.

    Opsiblastic eggs are thick-shelled, a little larger than tachyblastic eggs, and are very resistant to freezing and drying.

    2010, James H. Thorp, Alan P. Covich, Ecology and Classification of North American Freshwater Invertebrates, page 167
    2 more examples

    Opsiblastic ova with retarded development occur in freshwater forms, although initiation of the process is little understood .

    1982, Sybil P. Parker, Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms - Volume 1, page 857

    If an opsiblastic egg is produced by an individual, it is usually the last oviposition by that animal even if it is also the first.

    Ellsworth C. Dougherty, The Lower Metazoa (page 474)

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekὀψέ“late”
  2. Englishopsiblastic

From Ancient Greek ὀψέ (opsé, “late”) + -blastic.

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

opsiblastic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opsiblastic

MLA

“opsiblastic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opsiblastic. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “opsiblastic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opsiblastic.

Source: opsiblastic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.