ovary

American  

[oh-vuh-ree] / ˈoʊ və ri /

noun

ovaries plural

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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ovary British  

/ ˈəʊvərɪ, əʊˈvɛərɪən /

noun

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

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ovary Scientific  

/ ō′və-rē /

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).

2. See more at menstrual cycle ovulation

3. 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.

4. See more at flower

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ovarian
  adjective
• pseudovary
  noun

Inflected Forms

noun

• ovaries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ovary

First recorded in 1650–60; from New Latin ōvārium; see ovum, -ary

Example Sentences

Chanel Robinson achieved exactly what the gold rush of blockbuster weight-loss drugs promised: She lost nearly 100 pounds, lowered her cholesterol to normal levels and reined in her polycystic ovary syndrome.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Some of the approaches used in RRM — such as fertility awareness, endometriosis excision, or management of polycystic ovary syndrome — can improve fertility for some patients.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

She also had an enlarged ovary and visible oviduct — an avian fallopian tube — suggesting she was getting ready for breeding, which typically happens in January or February.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 26, 2025

Because each ovary can grow into a grain, this finding could help boost the amount of wheat produced per acre.

From Science Daily • Oct. 19, 2025

So the dispute between Reinier de Graaf and Jan Swammerdam over the discovery of the egg within the ovary, which began in 1672, was referred to the Royal Society in London for adjudication.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton