ste·roid

[steer-oid, ster-] Biochemistry.
noun
1.
any of a large group of fat-soluble organic compounds, as the sterols, bile acids, and sex hormones, most of which have specific physiological action.
2.
anabolic steroid.
adjective
3.
Also, ste·roi·dal [sti-roid-l, ste-] . pertaining to or characteristic of a steroid.
Idioms
4.
on steroids, Slang. much larger, stronger, or more extreme than is normal or expected: Yosemite is nature on steroids. He's so lovable, he's like santa claus on steroids.
Origin:
1925–30; ster(ol) + -oid

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
steroid (ˈstɪərɔɪd, ˈstɛr-) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
biochem any of a large group of fat-soluble organic compounds containing a characteristic chemical ring system. The majority, including the sterols, bile acids, many hormones, and the D vitamins, have important physiological action
 
[C20: from sterol + -oid]
 
ste'roidal
 
—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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00:10
Steroid is always a great word to know.
So is soluble. Does it mean:
a carbohydrate, as starch, inulin, or cellulose, containing more than three monosaccharide units per molecule, the units being attached to each other in the manner of acetals, and therefore capable of hydrolysis by acids or enzymes to monosaccharides.
soluble
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

steroid
1936, from sterol (1913), abstracted from (chole)sterol + -oid, from Gk. -oeides "-like," from eidos "form, shape" (see -oid).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

steroid ster·oid (stěr'oid', stēr'-)
n.
Any of numerous naturally occurring or synthetic fat-soluble organic compounds having as a basis 17 carbon atoms arranged in four rings and including the sterols and bile acids, adrenocortical and sex hormones, certain natural drugs such as digitalis compounds, and the precursors of certain vitamins. Also called steroid hormone. adj. ste·roid·al (stĭ-roid', stě-)
Relating to or characteristic of steroids or steroid hormones.

ster'oid' or ste·roid'al (stĭ-roid'l, stě-) 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
steroid   (stěr'oid')  Pronunciation Key 

  1. Any of a large class of organic compounds having as a basis 17 carbon atoms arranged in four rings fused together. Steroids include many biologically important compounds, including cholesterol and other sterols, the sex hormones (such as testosterone and estrogen), bile acids, adrenal hormones, plant alkaloids, and certain forms of vitamins.

  2. Any of various hormones having the structure of a steroid that are made synthetically, especially for use in medicine.

  3. An anabolic steroid.


steroidal adjective
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

steroid definition


A group of molecules that includes cholesterol. The sex hormones estrogen and testosterone are built from steroids, as are many modern anti-inflammatory drugs.

Note: Steroids are often used illegally to increase the performance of competitive athletes of almost all age groups. They are banned in many athletic competitions, such as the Olympic Games.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
If it's an allergic reaction, a vet can also administer a steroid shot for
  immediate relief.
He has put extra judiciary killings on steroid, even violating the sovereignty
  of unwilling nations.
Scientists have long known that proteins called steroid receptors play a
  critical role in switching on hormone-responsive genes.
Giving prednisone, an immune-system-suppressing steroid, is a more long-term
  strategy.
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