viviparous

/vəˈvɪpərəs/

/vɪˈvɪpərəs/

You didn't hatch from an egg, did you? That means you were born to a viviparous mother. The adjective viviparous describes something that gives birth to living things, rather than eggs.

Breaking viviparous down into parts can help you understand its meaning. Vivi looks a lot like vivus, Latin for "alive." Parous comes from the Latin word parere, meaning "produce, bring forth, give birth to." To pronounce it correctly, say "VIE-vip-uh-rus." Then say "thank you" to your mother.

Definitions of viviparous

1. adjective

   producing living young (not eggs)
   synonyms: live-bearing

   antonyms:

   oviparous

   egg-laying

   ovoviviparous

   producing living young from eggs that hatch within the body

   broody

   physiologically ready to incubate eggs