embryo

Universal Words noun (plural embryos) a young animal or plant in the very early stages of development before birth, or before coming out of its egg or seed, especially a human egg in the first eight weeks after FERTILIZATION: human embryos * (figurative) the embryo of an idea * an embryo politician (= one who is not yet very experienced) IDIOMS in embryo existing but not yet fully developed: The idea already existed in embryo in his earlier novels.