zoosporehttp://www.oed.com/dictionary/zoospore_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_usezoospore, n.
Revised 2017

zoosporenoun

Biology.
  1. 1842–
    A motile flagellate spore, as produced by certain algae, fungi, and protozoans. Cf. zoosperm n. 2.
    macrozoospore, megazoospore, microzoospore, zygozoospore: see the first element.
    Numerous zoosporic organisms are pathogens causing disease in economically significant plant and animal species.
    1. 1842
      What may be the purpose served in the œconomy of the plant by this motion of zoospores?
      Annals & Magazine of Natural History vol. 10 341
    2. 1858
      For the propagation of their kind,..the Confervæ have two different modes; the one being the liberation of moving particles, termed zoospores, from the interior of the cells.
      E. Lankester & W. B. Carpenter, Vegetable Physiology (new edition) §767
    3. 1890
      The..zoospores..have swarmed, and escaped, or been emitted from their sporangium, or generative sac.
      Journal New York Microsc. Society vol. 6 70
    4. 1948
      The zoospores may also be unusually large.
      American Journal of Botany vol. 35 247/1
    5. 1987
      For the great majority of algae the spores, often referred to as zoospores or swarmers, are motile.
      R. L. Fletcher, Seaweeds of British Isles vol. III. i. 36
    6. 2010
      You only need a few zoospores to reach potato tubers to suffer significant and damaging blight infections.
      Cornish Guardian (Nexis) 14 July 46

zoospore, n. was revised in June 2017.

zoospore, n. was last modified in September 2023.