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ovary

 [oh-vuh-ree]   Origin

o·va·ry

   [oh-vuh-ree]
noun, plural -ries.
1.
Anatomy, Zoology. the female gonad or reproductive gland, in which the ova and the hormones that regulate female secondary sex characteristics develop.
2.
Botany. the enlarged lower part of the pistil in angiospermous plants, enclosing the ovules or young seeds.
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Origin:
1650–60; < Neo-Latin ōvārium. See ovum, -ary

Related forms
pseud·o·va·ry, noun, plural -ries.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Ovary is always a great word to know.
So is rib cage. Does it mean:
ductless glands above the kidneys, consisting of a cortex producing steroidal hormones, and a medulla producing epinephrine and norepinephrine
the enclosure formed by the ribs and their connecting bones
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Collins
World English Dictionary
ovary (ˈəʊvərɪ)
 
—n , pl -ries
1.  either of the two female reproductive organs, which produce ova and secrete oestrogen hormones
2.  the corresponding organ in vertebrate and invertebrate animals
3.  botany the hollow basal region of a carpel containing one or more ovules. In some plants the carpels are united to form a single compound ovary
 
[C17: from New Latin ōvārium, from Latin ōvum egg]
 
ovarian
 
—adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

ovary
1650s, from Mod.L. ovarium "ovary" (16c.), from M.L. ovaria "the ovary of a bird" (13c.), from L. ovum "egg," from PIE *owyo-/*oyyo- "egg" (see egg). In classical L., ovarius meant "egg-keeper."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

ovary o·va·ry (ō'və-rē)
n.
One of the paired female reproductive organs that produce ova and certain sex hormones, including estrogen. Also called oophoron.

o·var'i·an (ō-vâr'ē-ən) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
ovary   (ō'və-rē)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. The reproductive organ in female animals that produces eggs and the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. In most vertebrate animals, the ovaries occur in pairs. In mammals, the ovaries contain numerous follicles, which house the developing eggs (oocytes). See more at menstrual cycle, ovulation.

  2. The part of a carpel or of a gynoecium made of fused carpels that contains the ovules in a flower. The ovary is located at the base of the carpel and ripens into a fruit after fertilization of one or more of the ovules. See more at flower.


ovarian adjective (ō-vâr'ē-ən)
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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