oestrus

American  

[es-truhs, ee-struhs] / ˈɛs trəs, ˈi strəs /

noun

Zoology.

1. Chiefly British. a variant of estrus.

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oestrus British  

/ ˈɛstrəm, ˈiːstrəm, ˈiːstrəs, ˈɛstrəs /

noun

1. a regularly occurring period of sexual receptivity in most female mammals, except humans, during which ovulation occurs and copulation can take place; heat

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Other Word Forms

• oestrous adjective

Etymology

Origin of oestrus

First recorded in 1690–1700; from Latin, from Greek oîstros “gadfly, sting, madness”

Example Sentences

The zoo said Kukena, nicknamed Kuki, recently had her first oestrus and her genitalia became more pronounced which alerted them to her true gender.

From BBC • Jun. 20, 2018

Odour cologne Decades before the famous smelly T-shirt research, another pioneering study took place that also suggested that human females have oestrus.

From The Guardian • Mar. 11, 2018

Because females that haven't mated when they are in oestrus can develop problems with their uterus, the rare encounters that do take place often come to naught.

From Nature • May 30, 2012

In the dog, however, the period of the oestrus cycle is about the as that of gestation—namely, six months.

From Hormones and Heredity by Cunningham, J. T.

An apparent instance of hostility between rival males competing for an oestrus female was observed on September 2, 1950.

From Aspects of Reproduction and Development in the Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster) by Fitch, Henry S.