corpus luteum
[ kawr-puh s loo-tee-uh m ]
/ ˈkɔr pəs ˈlu ti əm /
noun, plural cor·po·ra lu·te·a [kawr-per-uh loo-tee-uh] /ˈkɔr pər ə ˈlu ti ə/.
Anatomy, Zoology. a ductless gland developed within the ovary by the reorganization of a Graafian follicle following ovulation.
Pharmacology. an extract of this gland, usually of the hog or cow, the chief product of which is progesterone.
Nearby words
Origin of corpus luteum
1780–90; < New Latin: yellow body
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for corpus luteum
corpus luteum
/ (ˈluːtɪəm) /
noun plural corpora lutea (ˈluːtɪə)
a yellow glandular mass of tissue that forms in a Graafian follicle following release of an ovum. It secretes progesterone, a hormone necessary to maintain pregnancy
Word Origin for corpus luteum
New Latin, literally: yellow body
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medicine definitions for corpus luteum
corpus luteum
[ lōō′tē-əm ]
n.
A yellow, progesterone-secreting mass of cells that forms from a Graafian follicle after the release of a mature egg.yellow body
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Science definitions for corpus luteum
corpus luteum
[ lōō′tē-əm ]
Plural corpora lutea
A yellow mass of cells that forms from a mature ovarian follicle after ovulation and that secretes progesterone. If fertilization of the egg occurs, the corpus luteum persists for the first few months of pregnancy.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.