birth-control pill

American  

[burth-kuhn-trohl] / ˈbɜrθ kənˌtroʊl /

noun

1. an oral contraceptive for women, containing the hormones estrogen and progesterone or progesterone alone, that inhibits ovulation, fertilization, or implantation of a fertilized ovum, causing temporary infertility.

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Etymology

Origin of birth-control pill

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

"It may be that the day will come when people say the birth-control pill was a mistake," Alan Sears explained.

From Salon • Oct. 9, 2023

If the FDA follows this advice, the medication, sold under the name Opill, will be the first birth-control pill available without prescription in the United States.

From Scientific American • May 12, 2023

One potential male birth-control pill, Gamendazole, derived from an anticancer drug, interrupts sperm maturation so "you're making nonfunctional sperm," said Gregory Kopf, associate vice chancellor for research administration at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 24, 2011

The birth-control pill, which helped propel the second wave of feminism, and rock ’n’ roll’s hedonistic ethic and amplification both undermined Hammerstein’s patriarchal sentimentality and toughened the sound of pop.

From New York Times • Apr. 30, 2010

Just before I moved to New York, two historic events had occurred: the birth-control pill was invented and the first Julia Child cookbook was published.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 6, 2006