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Glite Dictionary
live-bearing

live-bearing

6.8
Giving birth to live young instead of laying eggs
  • adjective
  • /ˈlaɪvˌbɛrɪŋ/
translation icon : vivíparo
  • Certain reptiles are live-bearing, which allows them to adapt better to their environments by protecting their young from external dangers.

Examples

  • The one egg-laying species examined here, Eryx jayakari, is nestled firmly in the middle of the boa family tree, which strongly indicates that its ancestors were live-bearing boas.

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  • Some species of sharks are live-bearing, giving birth to fully formed young instead of laying eggs.

  • In the animal kingdom, live-bearing mammals nurture their young inside their bodies until birth.

Synonyms

viviparous
vslive-bearing
  • Specialized
9.3

To give birth to live young that grow inside the mother's body

is the general term for producing living young rather than laying eggs
ovoviviparous
vslive-bearing
  • Specialized
9.9

Giving birth to young that hatch from eggs inside the mother's body

is more general and does not specify internal egg hatching

Antonyms

egg-producing
1 4.1

Can lay eggs that become young animals

Surface Forms

live-bearing positive

Morphology

live-bearing = live + bearing (transparent) = live + bearing

Clearly a compound of 'live' + 'bearing' whose meaning ('producing living young') follows directly from the components.

Etymology

The word live-bearing comes from live ('alive') and bearing from 'to bear', meaning 'to carry' or 'give birth', just like in childbearing. So, a live-bearing animal carries and gives birth to living young instead of laying eggs.