diethylstilbestrol

or di·eth·yl·stil·boes·trol

[ dahy-eth-uhl-stil-bes-trawl, -trol ]

nounPharmacology.

a nonsteroidal synthetic estrogen, C18H20O2, used in medicine chiefly in the treatment of menopausal symptoms and for chemical castration: formerly used during pregnancy for the prevention of miscarriage but discontinued owing to its association with an increased risk of vaginal and cervical cancers. Abbreviation: DES

Origin of diethylstilbestrol

First recorded in 1935–40; di-¹ + ethyl + stilbestrol, equivalent to stilb(ene), estr(us), -ol¹

Also stil·bes·trol, stil·boes·trol [stil-bes-trawl] /stɪlˈbɛs trɔl/ .

Words Nearby diethylstilbestrol

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use diethylstilbestrol in a sentence

The legacies of drugs that were proven to be dangerous for pregnant people and their fetuses—including the anti-nausea medication thalidomide and the synthetic hormone diethylstilbestrol—after approval still loom large.
With Little Data to Guide Them, Pregnant Health Care Workers Are Stepping Up to Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19 | Jamie Ducharme | January 21, 2021 | Time

British Dictionary definitions for diethylstilbestrol

diethylstilbestrol

diethylstilboestrol

/ (daɪˌɛθɪlstɪlˈbɛstrɒl, -ˌiːθaɪl-) /

noun

a synthetic hormone with oestrogenic properties, used to relieve menopausal symptoms. Formula: OHC 6 H 4 CH:CHC 6 H 4 OH: Also called: stilbestrol, stilboestrol

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for diethylstilbestrol

diethylstilbestrol

[ dī-ĕth′əl-stĭl-bĕs′trôl′, -trōl′ ]

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