semelparous

S1E1M3E1L1P3A1R1O1U1S1
/ˈsɛməlpərəs/

adjective

Reproducing only once in a lifetime.

Opposite
iteroparous
OriginLatin semel →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

adjectivesemelparous (not comparable)
  1. not comparablebiologyReproducing only once in a lifetime.

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
iteroparous

Origin

  1. Latinsemel“once, a single time”
  2. Englishsemelparous

From Latin semel (“once, a single time”) + pariō (“give birth, produce, bring forth”). Coined by Lamont Cole in 1954.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

semelparous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semelparous

MLA

“semelparous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semelparous. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “semelparous,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semelparous.

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