spore

Etymology

From New Latin spora, from Ancient Greek σπορά (sporá, “seed”), related to σπόρος (spóros, “sowing”) and σπείρω (speírō, “to sow”), from Proto-Indo-European *sper- (“to strew”) (compare English spread).

noun

1. A reproductive particle, usually a single cell, released by a fungus, alga, or plant that may germinate into another.
   Thresher maws are subterranean carnivores that spend their entire lives eating or searching for something to eat. Threshers reproduce via spores that lie dormant for millennia, yet are robust enough to survive prolonged periods in deep space and atmospheric re-entry. As a result, thresher spores appear on many worlds, spread by previous generations of space travelers. 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Thresher Maws Codex entry
2. A thick resistant particle produced by a bacterium or protist to survive in harsh or unfavorable conditions.

verb

1. To produce spores.