testis (redirected from retained testis)

tes·tis  (tsts)

n. pl. tes·tes (-tz)

1. The reproductive gland in a male vertebrate, the source of spermatozoa and the androgens, normally occurring paired in an external scrotum in humans and certain other mammals.

2. An analogous gland in an invertebrate animal, such as a hydra or a mollusk.

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[Latin, witness, testis; see testify.]

Word History: The resemblance between testimony, testify, testis, and testicle shows an etymological relationship, but linguists are not agreed on precisely how English testis came to have its current meaning. The Latin testis originally meant "witness," and etymologically means "third (person) standing by": the te- part comes from an older tri-, a combining form of the word for "three," and -stis is a noun derived from the Indo-European root st- meaning "stand." How this also came to refer to the body part(s) is disputed. An old theory has it that the Romans placed their right hands on their testicles and swore by them before giving testimony in court. Another theory says that the sense of testicle in Latin testis is due to a calque, or loan translation, from Greek. The Greek noun parastats means "defender (in law), supporter" (para- "by, alongside," as in paramilitary and -stats from histanai, "to stand"). In the dual number, used in many languages for naturally occurring, contrasting, or complementary pairs such as hands, eyes, and ears, parastats had the technical medical sense "testicles," that is "two glands side by side." The Romans simply took this sense of parastats and added it to testis, the Latin word for legal supporter, witness.

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testis

Noun

pl -tes same as testicle

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testis  (tsts)

Plural testes (tstz)

The primary reproductive organ of male animals, in which sperm and the male sex hormones (androgens) are produced. In most vertebrates, the testes are contained inside the body. In many mammals, however, the testes are enclosed in an external scrotum.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

testis - one of the two male reproductive glands that produce spermatozoa and secrete androgens; "she kicked him in the balls and got away" ballock, bollock, testicle, orchis, egg, ball, nut arteria testicularis, internal spermatic artery, testicular artery - a branch of the aorta supplying the testicles testicular vein, vena testicularis - a vein from the testicles male reproductive system - the reproductive system of males family jewels, male genital organ, male genitalia, male genitals - external male sex organs seminiferous tubule - any of the numerous long convoluted tubules in the testis which are the sites where spermatozoa mature gonad, sex gland - a gland in which gametes (sex cells) are produced cobblers - a man's testicles (from Cockney rhyming slang: cobbler's awl rhymes with ball) male reproductive gland - the reproductive organs of a man undescended testicle, undescended testis - a testis that fails to move into the scrotum as the male fetus develops; "undescended testicles have an increased risk for cancer" epididymis - a convoluted tubule in each testis; carries sperm to vas deferens rete testis - network of tubules carrying sperm from the seminiferous tubules to the vasa efferentia ductus deferens, vas deferens - a duct that carries spermatozoa from the epididymis to the ejaculatory duct spermatic cord - a structure resembling a cord that suspends the testis within the scrotum and contains the vas deferens and other vessels and nerves