/spoʊr/

noun

a differentiated from of a bacterial cell which can be a survival and/or reproductive structure which may also exhibit dormancy. Spores can be produced as a response to environmental stresses and are therefore often resistant to adverse environmental conditions. Subclassifications of spores include: exospores, endospores, myxospores, conidia, arthrospores, and chlamydospores.

Neo-Latin, from spora