n.
- A small, usually single-celled reproductive body that is highly resistant to desiccation and heat and is capable of growing into a new organism, produced especially by certain bacteria, fungi, algae, and nonflowering plants.
- A dormant nonreproductive body formed by certain bacteria in response to adverse environmental conditions.
To produce spores.
[Greek sporā, seed.]
sporaceous spo·ra'ceous (spə-rā'shəs, spô-, spō-) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
