Biol. [f. Gr. θῆλυς female + -BLAST.] The female element of a sexual cell. Hence Thelyblastic a.
1877. C. S. Minot, in Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., XIX. 170. The sexual generation may be called genoblasts, the male arsenoblasts, the female thelyblasts (direction cells, nucleoli of Infusoria and spermatozoa).
1890. Billings, Nat. Med. Dict., Thelyblasts, term proposed by Minot to include mature ova and sperm-blastophores or seminal mother-cells.
