steroid

American  

[steer-oid, ster-] / ˈstɪər ɔɪd, ˈstɛr- /

noun

steroids plural

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.

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adjective

1. Also steroidal pertaining to or characteristic of a steroid.

idioms

1. on steroids, 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.

steroid British  

/ ˈstɛr-, ˈstɪərɔɪd /

noun

1. 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

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steroid Scientific  

/ stĕr′oid′ /

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.

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steroid Cultural  

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

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Discover More

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• steroidal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• steroids
  plural

Etymology

Origin of steroid

First recorded in 1925–30; ster(ol) + -oid

Example Sentences

Steroid creams have been used since the 1950s, and have helped millions manage their eczema and live a normal life.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Steroid hormones are known to circulate in the blood longer than peptide hormones.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

The Steroid Era in baseball is associated with artificially rearranging those records, while in football, nobody much cares about what goes in the record books.

From Washington Post • Feb. 4, 2019

Steroid levels, for example, naturally cycle with the circadian clock.

From Nature • Apr. 16, 2018

“The two of us could take Will, but we couldn’t take Steroid McGillicuddy and however many of his friends decided to come out and join the fun.”

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan