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

It appears to be very much troubled with ticks, and an oestrus or bot which deposits its larvæ in the frontal sinuses and cavities of the horns.

From Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon by Sterndale, Robert Armitage

He would not write more verse, when the oestrus was not on him, but he must write.

From Milton by Pattison, Mark