"an egg mother-cell," 1895, from oo- "egg" + -cyte "cell."
Entries linking to oocyte
oo-
word-forming element meaning "egg, eggs," from Greek ōon "egg," cognate with Latin ovum, Old Norse egg,from PIE *ōwyo‑, *ōyyo‑ "egg," which perhaps is a derivative of the root *awi- "bird."
-cyte
word-forming element used in modern science to mean "of a cell," from Latinized form of Greek kytos "a hollow, receptacle, basket" (see cyto-).
*awi-
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "bird." It also might be the source of *woyo, *oyyo, Proto-Indo-European words for "egg."
It forms all or part of: auspex; auspices; auspicious; avian; aviary; aviation; aviator; avicide; aviculture; aviform; caviar; cockney; egg (n.); ocarina; oo-; oocyte; oolite; oology; osprey; ostrich; oval; ovary; ovate (adj.); oviform; oviparous; ovoviviparous; ovoid; ovulate; ovulation; ovule; ovum.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit vih, Avestan vish, Latin avis "bird;" Greek aietos "eagle;" Old Church Slavonic aja, Russian jajco, Breton ui, Welsh wy, Greek ōon, Latin ovum, Old Norse egg, Old High German ei, Gothic ada all meaning "egg."