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The combining form -spermic is used like a suffix to mean “of or relating to one who has seeds.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in botany.

The form -spermic comes from Latin -spermicus, which uses the equivalent forms of -sperm and -ic in Latin. The suffix -ic means “having some characteristics of,” from both Greek -����ó�� and Latin -icus.

What are variants of -spermic?

The forms -spermous and -spermal, as in gymnospermous and gymnospermal, are both variants of -spermic. The related form -sperm is used for nouns instead of adjectives.

The forms sperm-, spermato-, and spermo- are also combining forms from Greek ����é������ that are variously used like prefixes to mean “sperm” or “seed.”

Want to learn more? Check out our �y��vlogs That Use entries for each of these seven forms.

One example of a term from botany that features the combining form -spermic is angiospermic, “of or relating to a plant having its seeds enclosed in an ovary.” Orchids, pea plants, and grass are all examples of angiosperms.

The angio- portion of the word means “vessel” or “container.” Because the form -spermic means “of or relating to one who has seeds,” angiospermic literally translates to “of or relating to one having seeds [in a] vessel.”

What are some words that use the combining form -spermic?

• endospermic (using the equivalent form of -sperm in French)
• gymnospermic (using the equivalent form of -sperm in Latin)
• oospermic
• pteridospermic (using the equivalent form of -sperm in Latin)
• zoospermic

What are some other forms that -spermic may be commonly confused with?

• -sphere
• -splain
• -spore

Some seeds are known as gymnospermic. Given that gymno- means “bare” or “exposed,” what characterizes a gymnospermic seed? (Hint: it’s the opposite of what characterizes an angiospermic seed.)