cortisol

American  

[kawr-tuh-sawl, -sohl] / ˈkɔr təˌsɔl, -ˌsoʊl /

noun

1. Biochemistry. one of several steroid hormones produced by the adrenal cortex and resembling cortisone in its action.

2. Pharmacology. hydrocortisone.

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cortisol British  

/ ˈkɔːtɪˌsɒl /

noun

1. another name for hydrocortisone

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cortisol Scientific  

/ kôr′tĭ-sôl′,-sōl′ /

1. The principal steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex. It regulates carbohydrate metabolism and the immune system and maintains blood pressure. When natural or synthetic cortisol is used as a pharmaceutical, it is known as hydrocortisone.

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Etymology

Origin of cortisol

First recorded in 1950–55; cortis(one) + -ol ¹

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Compare meaning

How does cortisol compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cortisone vs. cortisol

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cortisol

Burn off anxious energy - take quick bursts of movement, like jumping jacks, to help process adrenaline and cortisol.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

First, cortisol improved participants' ability to remember emotionally significant experiences, confirming what earlier research had suggested.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

This approach allowed the scientists to compare how the same person's brain responded with and without the additional cortisol.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

Could out-of-whack cortisol levels be to blame for all the symptoms I assumed were the basic hallmarks of living as an adult in 2026?

From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026

We had lived in a state of alert, a kind of constant terror, our brains flooding with cortisol because we knew that any of those things might happen at any moment.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

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