estrogen

[ es-truh-juhn ]

/ ˈɛs trə dʒən /

Save This Word!

noun Biochemistry.

any of several major female sex hormones produced primarily by the ovarian follicles of female mammals, capable of inducing estrus, developing and maintaining secondary female sex characteristics, and preparing the uterus for the reception of a fertilized egg: used, especially in synthetic form, as a component of oral contraceptives, in certain cancer treatments, and in other therapies.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of estrogen

First recorded in 1925–30; estr(us) + -o- + -gen

OTHER WORDS FROM estrogen

an·ti·es·tro·gen, noun

Words nearby estrogen

Estrela mountain dog, Estremadura, estrildid, estrin, estriol, estrogen, estrogenic, estrogen replacement therapy, estrone, estropipate, estrous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use estrogen in a sentence

All of this is to say that having slightly elevated estrogen levels isn’t necessarily a cause for concern regardless of your sex or gender—hormone levels change over the course of your lifetime.
Eating soy does not make men grow boobs|PopSci Staff|February 17, 2021|Popular-Science
You’ll find plenty of articles on “soy’s negative effects” asking whether soy increases estrogen in males.
Eating soy does not make men grow boobs|PopSci Staff|February 17, 2021|Popular-Science
Officially, menopause is caused by the natural decline of estrogen, and it’s diagnosed after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual cycle.
The Athlete's Guide to Menopause|Lindsay Warner|December 8, 2020|Outside Online
Medications that reduce the effect of estrogen can also help.
Science of ‘Seinfeld’|LGBTQ-Editor|June 15, 2020|No Straight News

The estrogen theory for height differences isn’t new, but few human evolutionary biologists have given it much attention.
Males Are the Taller Sex. Estrogen, Not Fights for Mates, May Be Why.|Christie Wilcox|June 8, 2020|Quanta Magazine
In fact, the estrogen that they employed did worse than castrate the subject—it could act as a cerebral depressant.
The Castration of Alan Turing, Britain’s Code-Breaking WWII Hero|Clive Irving|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All 10 girls were in every single day, so there was a lot of estrogen.
Anna Kendrick on ‘Pitch Perfect 2,’ Drunken Horror Stories, and Singin’ Pharrell|Marlow Stern|July 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It has an enormous dose of estrogen in it, leading to many voluptuous prisoners in New York state prisons.
Tales of a Jailhouse Gourmet: How I learned to Cook in Prison|Daniel Genis|June 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Orange Is the New Black returns to Netflix with a wildly addictive potion of darkness, estrogen, and one-liners.
‘Orange Is the New Black’ Season Two Is More Bingeworthy Than the First|Kevin Fallon|May 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Not only that, but fat cells may themselves produce estrogen and other hormones.
Why Plan B Might Not Work for Women Over 176 Pounds|Kent Sepkowitz|November 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for estrogen

estrogen

/ (ˈɛstrədʒən, ˈiːstrə-) /

noun

the usual US spelling of oestrogen

Derived forms of estrogen

estrogenic (ˌɛstrəˈdʒɛnɪk, ˌiːstrə-), adjectiveestrogenically, adverb

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 estrogen

estrogen

Any of several natural or synthetic substances formed by the ovary, placenta, testis, and certain plants, that stimulate the female secondary sex characteristics, exert systemic effects such as the growth and maturation of long bones, and are used to treat disorders due to estrogen deficiency and to ameliorate cancers of the breast and prostate.estrin

Scientific definitions for estrogen

estrogen

[ ĕs′trə-jən ]

Any of a group of steroid hormones that primarily regulate the growth, development, and function of the female reproductive system. The main sources of estrogen in the body are the ovaries and the placenta. Estrogen-like compounds are also formed by certain plants.

Cultural definitions for estrogen

estrogen

[ (es-truh-juhn) ]

A group of hormones, secreted mainly by the ovaries, that influence the female reproductive system in many ways, notably in preparing the body for ovulation and in the development of female secondary sex characteristics.