Defn: A mass or ball of cells formed by the repeated division of a male germinal cell (spermospore), each constituent cell (spermoblast) of which is converted into a spermatozoid; a spermatogemma.
SPERMOSPORE
Sper"mo*spore, n. Etym: [Spermo- + spore.] (Physiol.)
Defn: The male germinal or seminal cell, from the breaking up of which the spermoblasts are formed and ultimately the spermatozoids; a spermatospore. Balfour.
SPERMULE
Sper"mule, n. Etym: [Dim. fr. sperm.] (Physiol.)
Defn: A sperm cell. Haeckel.
SPERM WHALE
Sperm" whale`. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A very large toothed whale (Physeter macrocephalus), having a head of enormous size. The upper jaw is destitute of teeth. In the upper part of the head, above the skull, there is a large cavity, or case, filled with oil and spermaceti. This whale sometimes grows to the length of more than eighty feet. It is found in the warmer parts of all the oceans. Called also cachalot, and spermaceti whale. Pygmy sperm whale (Zoöl.), a small whale (Kogia breviceps), seldom twenty feet long, native of tropical seas, but occasionally found on the American coast. Called also snub-nosed cachalot. — Sperm-whale porpoise (Zoöl.), a toothed cetacean (Hyperoödon bidens), found on both sides of the Atlantic and valued for its oil. The adult becomes about twenty-five feet long, and its head is very large and thick. Called also bottle-nosed whale.
SPERRYLITE
Sper"ry*lite, n.Etym: [Named after F. L. Sperry, who discovered it.]
(Min.)
Defn: An arsenide of platinum occuring in grains and minute isometric crystals of tin-white color. It is found near Sudbury, Ontario Canada, and is the only known compound of platinum occuring in nature.
SPERSE
Sperse, v. t.