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corpus luteum

[ kawr-puhs -loo-tee-uhm ]
/ 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.

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Origin of corpus luteum

1780–90; <New Latin: yellow body

Words nearby corpus luteum

corpus fimbriatum, corpus hemorrhagicum, corpus juris, Corpus Juris Canonici, Corpus Juris Civilis, corpus luteum, corpus luteum hormone, corpus spongiosum, corpus striatum, corpus vile, corr.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

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

Medical 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.

Scientific 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.