Embryonic
ˌɛmbriˈɒnɪk
Definitions
Relating to or being in the earliest stages of development; undeveloped or rudimentary.
ˌɛmbriˈɒnɪk
Relating to an embryo or in an early stage of development.
The research focused on the embryonic development of the nervous system.
💡 Simply: Imagine a tiny seed that's just starting to grow. That's like something being embryonic! It's at the very beginning, not fully formed yet, like the early stages of a game before it's fully developed.
👶 For kids: Something that's embryonic is like a baby animal that's still growing inside its mom.
More Examples
The project is still in an embryonic phase, so much work remains.
They are studying the embryonic cells to understand the disease.
The company has shown embryonic signs of growth.
How It's Used
"The embryonic development of a frog is a complex process."
"The company is in an embryonic stage, with lots of potential."
Idioms & expressions
embryonic stem cells
Undifferentiated cells found in embryos that can develop into various specialized cell types.
"Researchers are exploring the potential of embryonic stem cells for treating various diseases."
From Late Latin *embryonicus*, from Greek *embryon* (meaning 'unborn child').
The word 'embryonic' has been used since the 17th century to describe something in its early stages, similar to the development of an embryo. It has expanded to describe early stages of non-biological concepts too.
Memory tip
Think of a baby in its earliest stages - it's embryonic!