oestrus

[ es-truhs, ee-struhs ]

/ ˈɛs trəs, ˈi strəs /

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noun

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Origin of oestrus

1690–1700; <Latin <Greek oîstros gadfly, sting, madness

Words nearby oestrus

oestriol, oestrogen, oestrone, oestrous, oestrous cycle, oestrus, oeuvre, of, of age, of a kind, O'Fallon

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

How to use oestrus in a sentence

An apparent instance of hostility between rival males competing for an oestrus female was observed on September 2, 1950.
Aspects of Reproduction and Development in the Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster)|Henry S. Fitch
Vaginal smears at this stage often showed nucleated cells characteristic of oestrus.
Aspects of Reproduction and Development in the Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster)|Henry S. Fitch
Females examined in February mostly were perforate and many of them appeared to be in oestrus.
Ecological Observations on the Woodrat, Neotoma floridana|Henry S. Fitch
Females which had borne and suckled young were first found to be in oestrus 65 to 104 days after birth of the young.
American Weasels|E. Raymond Hall

It is, however, less prominent than in oestrus, and does not gape.
Aspects of Reproduction and Development in the Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster)|Henry S. Fitch

British Dictionary definitions for oestrus

oestrus

US estrus or US estrum (ˈiːstrəm, ˈɛstrəm)

/ (ˈiːstrəs, ˈɛstrəs) /

noun

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

Derived forms of oestrus

oestrous, oestral, US estrous or estral, adjective

Word Origin for oestrus

C17: from Latin oestrus gadfly, hence frenzy, from Greek oistros

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