androgen

American  

[an-druh-juhn, -jen] / ˈæn drə dʒən, -ˌdʒɛn /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. any substance, as testosterone or androsterone, that promotes male characteristics.

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androgen British  

/ ˈændrədʒən, ˌændrəˈdʒɛnɪk /

noun

1. any of several steroids, produced as hormones by the testes or made synthetically, that promote development of male sexual organs and male secondary sexual characteristics

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androgen Scientific  

/ ăn′drə-jən /

1. Any of several steroid hormones, especially testosterone, that regulate the growth, development, and function of the male reproductive system. The testes are the main source of bodily androgens.

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Other Word Forms

• androgenic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of androgen

First recorded in 1935–40; andro- + -gen

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

androgen

The Cleveland Clinic notes that symptoms instead vary widely and can include irregular menstrual cycles, elevated androgen levels, acne, hair growth or loss, infertility and metabolic complications.

From Salon ● May 16, 2026

The standard and most likely course of care for Biden will be ADT, or androgen deprivation therapy, which involves a pill or shot that will shut down testosterone production, the doctors said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2025

"By understanding EZH2's role in this context, we may be able to re-sensitize tumors to androgen receptor inhibitors or make the cancer newly vulnerable to targeted treatments, such as immunotherapies."

From Science Daily ● Nov. 20, 2024

Instead of repressing tumor-suppressor genes, this form of EZH2 drives rapid protein production and activates growth factors like TGF-β, fostering an environment around the tumor that promotes cancer progression despite androgen receptor inhibition.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 20, 2024

You could even start before you were eighteen with pills called androgen blockers that stopped the boy hormones already inside you from turning your body into a man's.

From "George" by Alex Gino