ovary

American  

[oh-vuh-ree] / ˈoʊ və ri /

noun

plural

ovaries

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

• ovarian
  adjective
• pseudovary
  noun

Etymology

Origin of ovary

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

Example Sentences

Gwyneth Paltrow, who turns 50 today, staked her menopausal claim years ago with Madame Ovary, a “supplemental protocol” designed to relieve peri- and menopausal symptoms.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2022

Paltrow went on to recommend her brand’s Madame Ovary supplement and Seedlip, “the incredible herbal nonalcoholic cocktails”.

From The Guardian • Feb. 24, 2021

The NWW list contains irresistible band names such as Horrific Child, Lard Free, and Ovary Lodge, alongside legends like Yoko Ono and Frank Zappa.

From The Guardian • Sep. 24, 2019

When Dr. Hisaw published these findings under the title, "The Influence of the Ovary on the Resorption of the Pubic Bones of the Pocket Gopher," nobody paid much attention.

From Time Magazine Archive

Ovary at the base slightly adnate to the bottom of the calyx, 2-celled; styles 2, short, converging and united above by a common stigma.

From The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States Including the District East of the Mississippi and North of North Carolina and Tennessee by Gray, Asa