ovary

American  

[oh-vuh-ree] / ˈoʊ və ri /

noun

plural

ovaries

1. Anatomy, Zoology. the female gonad or reproductive gland, in which the ova and the hormones that regulate female secondary sex characteristics develop.

2. Botany. the enlarged lower part of the pistil in angiospermous plants, enclosing the ovules or young seeds.

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ovary British  

/ ˈəʊvərɪ, əʊˈvɛərɪən /

noun

1. either of the two female reproductive organs, which produce ova and secrete oestrogen hormones

2. the corresponding organ in vertebrate and invertebrate animals

3. botany the hollow basal region of a carpel containing one or more ovules. In some plants the carpels are united to form a single compound ovary

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ovary Scientific  

/ ō′və-rē /

1. The reproductive organ in female animals that produces eggs and the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. In most vertebrate animals, the ovaries occur in pairs. In mammals, the ovaries contain numerous follicles, which house the developing eggs (oocytes).

2. See more at menstrual cycle ovulation

3. The part of a carpel or of a gynoecium made of fused carpels that contains the ovules in a flower. The ovary is located at the base of the carpel and ripens into a fruit after fertilization of one or more of the ovules.

4. See more at flower

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Other Word Forms

• ovarian adjective
• pseudovary noun

Etymology

Origin of ovary

First recorded in 1650–60; from New Latin ōvārium; ovum, -ary

Example Sentences

Iona Hall, 30, from Bristol, underwent two operations in 2024 to remove a 10cm cyst on her ovary and separate her bowels and uterus, which had fused together.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

She also had an enlarged ovary and visible oviduct — an avian fallopian tube — suggesting she was getting ready for breeding, which typically happens in January or February.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 26, 2025

She said it was only when she started to trying for a baby and was unable to get pregnant that her endometriosis, which had caused a cyst on her ovary, was discovered.

From BBC • Sep. 30, 2025

In one, the cystic mass that took over most of my right ovary, a growth my doctor had pointed out in our appointment, had been zoomed in on.

From Slate • Jan. 2, 2025

There was a terrible pain in her stomach and her ovary was diseased.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers