mesonephros
noun
me·so·neph·ros ˌme-zə-ˈne-frəs 
ˌmē-,
-sə-,
-ˌfräs
plural mesonephroi ˌme-zə-ˈne-ˌfrȯi
ˌmē-,
-sə-
: either member of the second and midmost of the three paired vertebrate renal organs that functions in adult fishes and amphibians but functions only in the embryo of reptiles, birds, and mammals in which it is replaced by a metanephros in the adult
compare metanephros, pronephros
Examples of mesonephros in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Once the final kidneys develop, the mesonephros disappears. —
Amber Dance, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Dec. 2022
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Amber Dance, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Dec. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Mesonephros.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/mesonephros. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
mesonephros
noun
me·so·neph·ros ˌmez-ə-ˈnef-rəs ˌmēz-
ˌmēz-
ˌmēs-,
ˌmes-,
-ˌräs
plural mesonephroi -ˌrȯi
: either member of the second and midmost of the three paired vertebrate renal organs that functions in adult fishes and amphibians but functions only in the embryo of reptiles, birds, and mammals in which it is replaced by a metanephros in the adult
called also Wolffian body
compare pronephros
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