hormone

[ hawr-mohn ]

See synonyms for hormone on Thesaurus.com

noun

Biochemistry. any of various internally secreted compounds, as insulin or thyroxine, formed in endocrine glands, that affect the functions of specifically receptive organs or tissues when transported to them by the body fluids.
Pharmacology. a synthetic substance used in medicine to act like such a compound when introduced into the body.

Botany.Also called phytohormone. any of various plant compounds, as auxin or gibberellin, that control growth and differentiation of plant tissue.

Origin of hormone

First recorded in 1900–05; from Greek hormôn “setting in motion,” present participle of hormân “to set in motion, excite, stimulate,” from horm(ḗ) horme, with ending assimilated to -one

Other words from hormone

hor·mo·nal, hor·mon·ic [hawr-mon-ik, -moh-nik], /hɔrˈmɒn ɪk, -ˈmoʊ nɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby hormone

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hormone in a sentence

In addition to slowing you down and sapping your endurance, running too many miles on too little rest can lead to a host of problems ranging from hormone imbalances to shin splints to tendon strains.
Want to Improve Your Running? Focus on Recovery. | Outside Editors | February 5, 2021 | Outside Online
Obesity is associated with alterations of certain hormone levels that we think might have a carcinogenic effect.
How to Fix the Incentives in Cancer Research (Ep. 449) | Stephen J. Dubner | January 28, 2021 | Freakonomics
Uncertainty about what will happen next can trigger our body’s fight or flight response, spiking stress hormones like serotonin.
Is watching TV actually a good way to relax? | Corinne Iozzio | January 27, 2021 | Popular-Science
Serotonin is known as the “happy hormone,” as it regulates mood, body temperature and appetite.
Can a happy lamp help cure your winter blues? | Erin Fennessy | January 25, 2021 | Popular-Science
What’s more, a 2007 study published in the journal Sleep shows that with each additional uninterrupted sleep cycle, you generate more of these hormones.
7 Wellness Strategies to Build Resilience | Brad Stulberg | January 22, 2021 | Outside Online

You have to acknowledge your age and position in life, for me quite a lot of those emotionally fueled songs were hormone songs.
Belle & Sebastian Aren’t So Shy Anymore | James Joiner | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
He was prescribed a course of hormone pills that caused him to grow breasts and rendered him impotent.
The Castration of Alan Turing, Britain’s Code-Breaking WWII Hero | Clive Irving | November 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
McAndrews agreed that the androgenic hormone pill would be problematic for those with a genetic propensity for ADA.
Birth Control Made My Hair Fall Out, and I’m Not the Only One | Molly Oswaks | October 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
What if they were to measure body composition or hormone levels or metabolic rate?
‘The Biggest Loser’ Could Be TV’s Most Important Show Ever | Daniela Drake | September 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The HPA axis is a circuit between your brain, your hormone glands, and the rest of your body.
We're Talking About Depression All Wrong | Jean Kim | August 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
It is simply all the endocrine or hormone-producing organs organized into a balanced chemical system—adjusted to each other.
Taboo and Genetics | Melvin Moses Knight, Iva Lowther Peters, and Phyllis Mary Blanchard
This is unquestionably to be interpreted as a case of hormone action.
The Organism as a Whole | Jacques Loeb
Our modern conception of hormone action shows certain resemblances with this theory.
On the Natural Faculties | Galen
Doubtless plants produce in their leaves a hormone which directs certain enzymes that conduct wound repair by cell division.
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Twenty-Fourth Annual Meeting | Northern Nut Growers Association
Yes, sir; he was given 300 milligrams of hydrocortisone which is an adrenal hormone.
Warren Commission (3 of 26): Hearings Vol. III (of 15) | The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

British Dictionary definitions for hormone

hormone

/ (ˈhɔːməʊn) /

noun

a chemical substance produced in an endocrine gland and transported in the blood to a certain tissue, on which it exerts a specific effect
an organic compound produced by a plant that is essential for growth

any synthetic substance having the same effects

Origin of hormone

C20: from Greek hormōn, from horman to stir up, urge on, from hormē impulse, assault

Derived forms of hormone

hormonal, 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

Scientific definitions for hormone

hormone

[ hôr′mōn′ ]

A chemical substance secreted by an endocrine gland or group of endocrine cells that acts to control or regulate specific physiological processes, including growth, metabolism, and reproduction. Most hormones are secreted by endocrine cells in one part of the body and then transported by the blood to their target site of action in another part, though some hormones act only in the region in which they are secreted. Many of the principal hormones of vertebrates, such as growth hormone and thyrotropin, are secreted by the pituitary gland, which is in turn regulated by neurohormone secretions of the hypothalamus. Hormones also include the endorphins, androgens, and estrogens. See more at endocrine gland.
A substance that is synthesized by a plant part and acts to control or regulate the growth and development of the plant. The action and effectiveness of a hormone can depend on the hormone's chemical structure, its amount in relation to other hormones that have competing or opposing effects, and the ways in which it interacts with chemical receptors in various plant parts. Auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, abscisic acid, and ethylene are plant hormones.

a closer look

Among the most abundant and influential chemicals in the human body are the hormones, found also throughout the entire animal and plant kingdoms. The endocrine glands alone, including the thyroid, pancreas, adrenals, ovaries, and testes, release more than 20 hormones that travel through the bloodstream before arriving at their targeted sites. The pea-sized pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain below the hypothalamus, is considered the most crucial part of the endocrine system, producing growth hormone and hormones that control other endocrine glands. Specialized cells of the nervous system also produce hormones. The brain itself releases endorphins, hormones that act as natural painkillers. Hormones impact almost every cell and organ of the human body, regulating mood, growth, tissue function, metabolism, and sexual and reproductive function. Compared to the nervous system, the endocrine system regulates slower processes such as metabolism and cell growth, while the nervous system controls more immediate functions, such as breathing and movement. The action of hormones is a delicate balancing act, which can be affected by stress, infection, or changes in fluids and minerals in the blood. The pituitary hormones are influenced by a variety of factors, including emotions and fluctuations in light and temperature. When hormone levels become abnormal, disease can result, such as diabetes from insufficient insulin or osteoporosis in women from decreased estrogen. On the other hand, excessive levels of growth hormone may cause uncontrolled development. Treatment for hormonal disorders usually involves glandular surgery or substitution by synthetic hormones.

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