gonad

[goh-nad, gon-ad]

noun

Anatomy.

1. a sex gland in which gametes are produced; an ovary or testis.

gonad

/ ˈɡɒnæd, ɡɒˈneɪdɪəl /

noun

1. an animal organ in which gametes are produced, such as a testis or an ovary

2. slang,  a foolish or stupid person

gonad

1. An organ in animals that produces reproductive cells (gametes). The ovary and testis are gonads.

Other Word Forms

• gonadal adjective
• gonadial adjective
• gonadic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gonad¹

1875–80; < New Latin gonad- (stem of gonas ), equivalent to gon- gon- + -ad- -ad ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of gonad¹

C19: from New Latin gonas, from Greek gonos seed

Example Sentences

“Do we really want to kill more salmon for their gonads?”

From Los Angeles Times

As a postdoctoral scholar, Özpolat was most interested in how worms made new gonads as part of this chain-like reproductive process.

From Science Daily

Valenzuela's group is already at work on creating organoids from turtle gonads, to further investigate the underlying causes of sex determination.

From Science Daily

The tests also found that adult male fish exposed to bifenthrin an cyhalothrin as larvae had smaller gonads than the control group, while the second generation had increased fecundity.

From Science Daily

They are only one ingredient in a toxic stew that is literally hitting us in our collective gonads.

From Salon