Animal Reproduction Vocabulary

noun a place where two roads, lines, or paths intersect

verb the act of moving from one side to another, typically across a road or river

• The pedestrian was waiting at the crossing for the traffic light to turn green.
• I saw a squirrel crossing the road in front of my house.
• Watch out for that crazy driver, he almost hit me while I was crossing the street.
• The project team is currently crossing the final hurdles before the product launch.

noun a young female cow that has not borne a calf

• The farmer purchased a new heifer for his dairy farm.
• Did you see the cute heifer in the pasture?
• That heifer is looking mighty fine today.
• She's as stubborn as a heifer when she doesn't get her way.

noun a female horse or other equine animal

• The mare gave birth to a healthy foal in the stable.
• I rode the mare down to the river for a swim.
• That mare is a real beauty, isn't she?
• Her emotions were like a wild mare, untamed and unpredictable.

noun the action of giving birth to young; childbirth

• Parturition is the process of giving birth in mammals.
• Did you know that parturition can be a long and painful process for some animals?
• I heard Jane's cat had a crazy parturition last night.
• The parturition of a new idea can be just as exciting as the birth of a child.

noun The act of giving birth to a calf (in cows or other ungulates)

• The process of calving involves the breaking off of large pieces of ice from a glacier.
• We might get lucky and witness some calving while we're out on the boat.
• I heard there's some crazy calving happening down at the ice shelf.
• The company is calving off non-profitable divisions to focus on their core business.

adjective describing an animal that reproduces by laying eggs

• Oviparous animals are those that reproduce by laying eggs.
• Did you know that birds are oviparous?
• I heard that snakes are egg-laying creatures, they're oviparous.
• The company's growth strategy is oviparous, gradually hatching new opportunities over time.

noun a supposed phenomenon in which the offspring of a female by one sire has the characteristics of a previous mate of the female

• The concept of telegony, where a female's offspring can be influenced by the traits of her previous mates, has been a topic of scientific debate.
• Some people believe in the idea of telegony, that a woman's future children can be affected by her past partners.
• I heard this crazy theory about telegony, like your baby can inherit traits from your ex-boyfriend.
• In literature, the notion of telegony is often used as a metaphor for how past experiences can shape future outcomes.

verb the action of terminating a process or activity before it is completed

• The doctor recommended aborting the procedure due to potential complications.
• She was considering aborting the mission because of bad weather.
• They were this close to aborting the whole plan.
• Aborting the project at this stage would be like giving up halfway through a marathon.