Sperket, spėr′ket, n. a hooked peg for hanging harness upon.—Also Spir′ket.
Sperm, spėrm, n. animal seed: spawn of fishes or frogs: spermaceti.—ns. Sper′maduct, a spermatic duct; Sper′maphore (bot.), a placenta; Sper′mary, the male germ-gland; Spermathē′ca, a spermatic case or sheath—also Spermatothē′ca.—adjs. Spermathē′cal; Spermat′ic, -al, pertaining to, or consisting of, sperm or seed, seminal: connected with the male function, testicular.—v.i. Sper′matise, to yield or to discharge semen.—ns. Sper′matism=Spermism; Sper′matist=Spermist; Spermā′tium, a minute spore within a spermogonium:—pl. Spermā′tia.—adj. Spermatō′al, pertaining to a spermatoon.—n. Sper′matoblast, the germ of a spermatozoon.—adj. Spermatoblas′tic.—ns. Sper′matocele, swelling of the testicle; Sper′matocyst, a seminal vesicle; Spermatocys′tis, inflammation of the seminal vesicles.—adj. Spermatocy′tal.—ns. Sper′matocyte, a mother-cell from which spermatozoids are developed; Spermatogem′ma, a mass of spermatocytes; Spermatogen′esis, the formation of spermatozoa.—adjs. Spermatogenet′ic, Spermatog′enous.—ns. Spermatog′eny, the generation of spermatozoa; Spermatogō′nium, one of the primitive seminal cells that by division form the spermatocytes.—adjs. Sper′matoid, sperm-like; Spermatolog′ical, pertaining to spermatology.—ns. Spermatol′ogist, one versed in spermatology; Spermatol′ogy, the knowledge of the facts about semen; Spermatō′on, the nucleus of a spermatozoon; Spermat′ōphōre, a case which in some Invertebrata encloses the spermatozoa.—adj. Spermatoph′orous.—ns. Spermatorrhē′a, involuntary seminal discharge; Spermatō′vum, a fecundated ovum; Spermatozō′id, Spermatozō′on, one of the male reproductive cells of animals, the physiological complements of the egg-cells or ova:—pl. Spermatozō′a; Sperm′-cell, a spermatozoon: a spermatoblast or a spermatocyte.—adj. Sper′mic=Spermatic—ns. Sper′mism, a seminal discharge: the theory that the male sperm holds the whole germ of the future animal; Sper′mist, one who holds the theory of spermism; Sperm′-nū′cleus, the nucleus of a spermatozoon; Sper′moderm, the whole integument of a seed; Spermogō′nium, the cavity in which, spermatia are produced; Sperm′-oil, oil from the sperm-whale; Spormol′ogy=Spermatology; Spermoph′ōrum, a seminal vesicle.—n.pl. Spermoph′yta, one of the four divisions of the vegetable kingdom including flowering plants.—ns. Sperm′ūle, a sperm-cell; Sperm′-whale, the cachalot, a species of whale from which spermaceti is obtained. [Fr.,—L. sperma—Gr. sperma, spermatos—speirein, to sow.]
Spermaceti, sper-ma-set′i, or-sē′tī, n. a waxy matter obtained mixed with oil from the head of the sperm-whale—purified by draining off the oil and repeatedly washing with hot water and weak boiling potash-lye.—adj. derived from, or yielding, spermaceti.—n. Spermacet′i-whale, the sperm-whale. [L. sperma, cētus, a whale—Gr. kētos.]
Spermophile, sper′mō-fīl, n. a rodent of the genus Spermophilus, a ground-squirrel. [Gr. sperma, seed, philein, to love.]
Sperre, sper, v.t. (Spens.). Same as Sper. [Spar.]
Sperrylite, sper′i-līt, n. an arsenide of platinum discovered in 1888 in the province of Ontario, Canada.
Sperse, spėrs, v.t. (Spens.) to disperse.
Spet, spet, v.i. (Milt.) a form of spit.
Spetch, spech, n. a piece of skin used in making glue. [Speck.]
Spew, Spue, spū, v.t. and v.i. to vomit: to eject with loathing.—ns. Spew′er; Spew′iness, moistness.—adj. Spew′y, boggy. [A.S. spíwan; Dut. spuwen, Ger. speien; also L. spuĕre, Gr. ptyein.]