in vitro fertilization: Meaning and Definition of

in vi'tro fertiliza'tion

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. a specialized technique by which an ovum, esp. a human one, is fertilized by sperm outside the body, with the resulting embryo later implanted in the uterus for gestation.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.