gemmule
In the obsolete theory of pangenesis propounded by the English scientist Charles Darwin (1809–1882): a hypothetical particle once thought to be the basis of heredity.
historical
Curse you, you wandering gemmule, / And nail you fast in Hell! / You gave me gout and bandy legs, / You beast, you wanted a cell! / Gout, and gravel, and evil days— / (Theology speaks, shaking her head) / But there is One who knows your ways!
Where it comes from
Borrowed from French gemmule, from Latin gemmula (“small bud; small gem”), from gemma (“bud of a plant; gem, jewel; thing made of precious stones”) (further etymology uncertain; possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“to beget, give birth; to produce”), but see further at that entry) + -ula (feminine form of -ulus (diminutive suffix)).
Adapted from the Wiktionary entry gemmule (CC BY-SA 4.0).