| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
ovulate o·vu·late (ō'vyə-lāt', ŏv'yə-)
v. o·vu·lat·ed, o·vu·lat·ing, o·vu·lates
To produce ova; discharge eggs from the ovary.
ovulation o·vu·la·tion (ō'vyə-lā'shən, ŏv'yə-)
n.
The discharge of an ovum from the ovary.
| ovulation (ō'vyə-lā'shən, ŏv'yə-lā'shən) Pronunciation Key
The release of an egg cell (ovum) from the ovary in female animals, regulated in mammals by hormones produced by the pituitary gland during the menstrual cycle. |
The periodic release of an ovum from the ovaries (usually from only one ovary). After the ovum is released, it travels into the fallopian tube, and from there is moved to the uterus. Ovulation generally happens approximately two weeks into the menstrual cycle.
ovulation
release of a mature egg from the female ovary; the release enables the egg to be fertilized by the male sperm cells. Normally, in humans, only one egg is released at one time; occasionally, two or more erupt during the menstrual cycle. The egg erupts from the ovary on the 14th to 16th day of the approximately 28-day menstrual cycle. If not fertilized, the egg is passed from the reproductive tract during menstrual bleeding, which starts about two weeks after ovulation. Occasionally, cycles occur in which an egg is not released; these are called anovulatory cycles.
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