adjective
- Zoology. bringing forth living young rather than eggs, as most mammals and some reptiles and fishes.
- Botany. producing seeds that germinate on the plant.
adjective
- (of animals) producing offspring that as embryos develop within and derive nourishment from the body of the female parentCompare oviparous, ovoviviparous
- (of plants) producing bulbils or young plants instead of flowers
- (of seeds) germinating before separating from the parent plant
1640s, from Late Latin viviparus “bringing forth alive,” from Latin vivus “alive, living” + parere “bring forth, bear” (see pare).
adj.
- Giving birth to living offspring that develop within the mother’s body as for most mammals.
- Giving birth to living young that develop within the mother’s body rather than hatching from eggs. All mammals except the monotremes are viviparous. Compare oviparous ovoviviparous.