esperma

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin sperma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [əsˈpɛr.mə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [əsˈpər.mə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [esˈpeɾ.ma]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Noun

esperma f (plural espermes)

1. sperm

Derived terms

• espelma
• espermàtic

Related terms

• espermato-

Further reading

• “esperma” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
• “esperma”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Central Bikol

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish esperma de ballena (“spermaceti”).

Noun

haróng (Basahan spelling ᜁᜐ᜔ᜉᜒᜍ᜔ᜋ)

1. spermaceti
2. candle made from spermaceti
3. semen; sperm

Related terms

• kandila

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /isˈpɛʁ.mɐ/ [isˈpɛɦ.mɐ], /esˈpɛʁ.mɐ/ [esˈpɛɦ.mɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /isˈpɛʁ.mɐ/ [isˈpɛɦ.mɐ], /esˈpɛʁ.mɐ/ [esˈpɛɦ.mɐ]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /isˈpɛɾ.mɐ/, /esˈpɛɾ.mɐ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /iʃˈpɛʁ.mɐ/, /eʃˈpɛʁ.mɐ/
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /isˈpɛɻ.mɐ/, /esˈpɛɻ.mɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /esˈpɛʁ.ma/ [esˈpɛɦ.ma]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /(i)ʃˈpɛɾ.mɐ/

• Hyphenation: es‧per‧ma

Noun

esperma m (plural espermas)

1. sperm (semen (fluid))

Related terms

• espermático

Further reading

• “esperma”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “esperma”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin sperma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /esˈpeɾma/ [esˈpeɾ.ma]
• Rhymes: -eɾma
• Syllabification: es‧per‧ma

Noun

esperma m or f same meaning (plural espermas)

1. sperm (cell)
2. sperm (seminal fluid)

   Synonym: semen

3. spermaceti (waxy substance extracted from the head of a sperm whale)

   Synonym: esperma de ballena

4. wax (of a candle, especially liquid)

   Synonym: cera

Usage notes

• In the sense "sperm", usually masculine; in the sense "spermaceti" and "wax", usually feminine.

Derived terms

• esperma de ballena

Further reading

• “esperma”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Tagalog

Alternative forms

• espelma — obsolete

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish esperma de ballena (“spermaceti”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ʔesˈpeɾma/ [ʔɛsˈpɛɾ.mɐ]
• Rhymes: -eɾma
• Syllabification: es‧per‧ma

Noun

esperma (Baybayin spelling ᜁᜐ᜔ᜉᜒᜇ᜔ᜋ)

1. spermaceti
2. candle made from spermaceti
3. semen; sperm

   Synonyms: tamod, semilya

Related terms

• kandila

Further reading

• “esperma”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018