ovary
Anatomy, Zoology. the female gonad or reproductive gland, in which the ova and the hormones that regulate female secondary sex characteristics develop.: Compare testis.
Botany. the enlarged lower part of the pistil in angiospermous plants, enclosing the ovules or young seeds.
Origin of ovary
1Other words from ovary
- pseud·o·va·ry, noun, plural pseud·o·va·ries.
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British Dictionary definitions for ovary
/ (ˈəʊvərɪ) /
either of the two female reproductive organs, which produce ova and secrete oestrogen hormones
the corresponding organ in vertebrate and invertebrate animals
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
Origin of ovary
1Derived forms of ovary
- ovarian (əʊˈvɛərɪən), adjective
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 ovary
[ ō′və-rē ]
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.
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.
Other words from ovary
- ovarian adjective (ō-vâr′ē-ən)
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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