Meaning & use
spore
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Meanings
nouncountablebiology
A tiny cell, often with a hard coat, that some plants, fungi and bacteria release to reproduce.
Grammar: Countable: one spore, many spores; often used in the plural in science writing.
Patterns
- release spores
- spores are carried by the wind
- a spore of a fungus
Ferns release spores from the underside of their leaves.
Mold spreads through the air as tiny spores.
Each spore can grow into a new plant if it lands somewhere damp.
nouncountablebiologytechnical
A cell that some bacteria form when conditions are bad, allowing them to survive until things improve.
Grammar: Countable; common in biology and medicine when talking about bacteria such as anthrax.
Patterns
- bacterial spores
- form a spore
- spores survive heat
Some bacteria form spores that can survive boiling water.
The spores stay inactive in the soil for years.
Doctors tested the powder for bacterial spores.
Word forms
| plural | spores |
|---|
Common combinations
- fungal spores
- Fungal spores float in the air and can cause allergies.
- release spores
- The mushroom releases spores when it is fully grown.
- spore-forming bacteria
- Spore-forming bacteria are hard to kill with heat alone.
- a cloud of spores
- A cloud of spores rose from the disturbed soil.
- spores germinate
- The spores germinate quickly in warm, wet conditions.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- sporulation noun
- the process by which an organism produces spores
- sporangium noun
- the structure in which spores are produced
- spore-bearing adjective
- having or producing spores
Commonly confused: spore or spur? spore or spoor?
spore vs spur
'Spur' means a pointed object or something that encourages action, and sounds different: /spɜːr/ rather than /spɔːr/.
spore vs spoor
'Spoor' means the tracks or smell left by an animal; it looks similar but has a different meaning.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'spore' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Spores' are the reproductive cells of ferns, fungi and similar organisms, so the fern sentence fits. 'Spore' in the other sentences is confused with 'spoor' (animal tracks) and 'spur' (something that encourages).
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “spore”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.