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estrogen

[ es-truh-juhn ]

noun

, Biochemistry.
  1. any of several major sex hormones produced primarily by the ovarian follicles of mammals, capable of inducing estrus, developing and maintaining secondary female sex characteristics, and preparing the uterus for the reception of a fertilized egg: used, especially in synthetic form, as a component of oral contraceptives, in certain cancer treatments, and in other therapies.


estrogen

/ ˌiːstrə-; ˈiːstrə-; ˌɛstrəˈdʒɛnɪk; ˈɛstrədʒən /

noun

  1. the usual US spelling of oestrogen


estrogen

/ ĕstrə-jən /

  1. Any of a group of steroid hormones that primarily regulate the growth, development, and function of the female reproductive system. The main sources of estrogen in the body are the ovaries and the placenta. Estrogen-like compounds are also formed by certain plants.


estrogen

  1. A group of hormones , secreted mainly by the ovaries , that influence the female reproductive system in many ways, notably in preparing the body for ovulation and in the development of female secondary sex characteristics .


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Derived Forms

  • ˌestroˈgenically, adverb
  • estrogenic, adjective

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Other Words From

  • anti·estro·gen noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of estrogen1

First recorded in 1925–30; estr(us) + -o- + -gen

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Example Sentences

You’ll find plenty of articles on “soy’s negative effects” asking whether soy increases estrogen in males.

All of this is to say that having slightly elevated estrogen levels isn’t necessarily a cause for concern regardless of your sex or gender—hormone levels change over the course of your lifetime.

Officially, menopause is caused by the natural decline of estrogen, and it’s diagnosed after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual cycle.

Medications that reduce the effect of estrogen can also help.

The estrogen theory for height differences isn’t new, but few human evolutionary biologists have given it much attention.

In fact, the estrogen that they employed did worse than castrate the subject—it could act as a cerebral depressant.

All 10 girls were in every single day, so there was a lot of estrogen.

It has an enormous dose of estrogen in it, leading to many voluptuous prisoners in New York state prisons.

Orange Is the New Black returns to Netflix with a wildly addictive potion of darkness, estrogen, and one-liners.

Not only that, but fat cells may themselves produce estrogen and other hormones.

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estriolestrogenic