oestrogen

/ ˌɛstrəˈdʒɛnɪk, ˌiːstrəˈdʒɛnɪk, ˈɛstrə-, ˌiːstrə-, ˌɛstrə-, ˈiːstrədʒən /

noun

1. any of several steroid hormones, that are secreted chiefly by the ovaries and placenta, that induce oestrus, stimulate changes in the female reproductive organs during the oestrous cycle, and promote development of female secondary sexual characteristics

Other Word Forms

• oestrogenically adverb
• oestrogenic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of oestrogen¹

C20: from _oestrus + _-gen

Example Sentences

The pill is an oral selective oestrogen receptor, designed to fight tumors driven by the hormone estrogen, which are estimated to account for up to 70% of all breast cancer cases.

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NHS-prescribed Hormone Replacement Therapy, or HRT, is traditionally a combination of oestrogen and progesterone.

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What I've learned is that when you lose oestrogen in your body, especially when you have sudden menopause, like I had - I didn't have a gradual menopause, I had a sudden one.

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"It turns out that during peri-menopause as your oestrogen fluctuates it heightens the symptoms of ADHD, mainly emotional deregulation, and breaks down any coping mechanisms you've had up to that point."

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A saliva test is also a reliable way to show a rise in oestrogen levels, which happens before ovulation.

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