Egg-laying; denoting those birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, monotreme mammals, and invertebrates whose young develop in eggs outside of the maternal body. [L. oviparus, fr. ovum, egg, + pario, to bear]
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ovip·a·rous ō-'vip-(ə-)rəs adj producing eggs that develop and hatch outside the maternal body also involving the production of such eggs compare LARVIPAROUS, OVOVIVIPAROUS, VIVIPAROUS
ovip·a·rous·ness n
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ovip·a·rous (o-vipґə-rəs) [ovi- + -parous] capable of producing eggs from which the young are hatched outside the body of the maternal organism. Cf. ovoviviparous and viviparous.Medical dictionary. 2011.