Dictionary.com

estrus

[ es-truhs ]
/ ˈɛs trəs /
Save This Word!
noun Zoology.
Also es·trum [es-truhm], /ˈɛs trəm/, oestrus. the period of heat or rut; the period of maximum sexual receptivity of the female.
estrous cycle.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"
"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."
Question 1 of 7
IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?
have
be
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of estrus

1885–90; <Latin oestrusoestrus

OTHER WORDS FROM estrus

es·tru·al [es-troo-uhl], /ˈɛs tru əl/, adjective

Words nearby estrus

estrogen replacement therapy, estrone, estropipate, estrous, estrous cycle, estrus, estuarine, estuary, Estuary English, esu, esurient
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

British Dictionary definitions for estrus

estrus
/ (ˈɛstrəs, ˈiːstrəs) /
noun
the usual US spelling of oestrus

Derived forms of estrus

estrous, adjective
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 estrus

estrus
n.
The periodic state of sexual excitement in the female of most mammals, excluding humans, that immediately precedes ovulation and during which the female is most receptive to mating; heat.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for estrus

estrus
[ ĕs′trəs ]
A regularly recurring period in female mammals other than humans during which the animal is sexually receptive. Estrus occurs around the time of ovulation. Also called heat
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK