ovary
Americannoun
-
ovaries
plural
-
Anatomy, Zoology. the female gonad or reproductive gland, in which the ova and the hormones that regulate female secondary sex characteristics develop.
-
Botany. the enlarged lower part of the pistil in angiospermous plants, enclosing the ovules or young seeds.
noun
-
either of the two female reproductive organs, which produce ova and secrete oestrogen hormones
-
the corresponding organ in vertebrate and invertebrate animals
-
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
-
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).
-
See more at menstrual cycle ovulation
-
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.
-
See more at flower
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of ovary
First recorded in 1650–60; from New Latin ōvārium; see ovum, -ary
Vocabulary lists containing ovary
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Chanel Robinson achieved exactly what the gold rush of blockbuster weight-loss drugs promised: She lost nearly 100 pounds, lowered her cholesterol to normal levels and reined in her polycystic ovary syndrome.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
Some of the approaches used in RRM — such as fertility awareness, endometriosis excision, or management of polycystic ovary syndrome — can improve fertility for some patients.
From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2026
Because each ovary can grow into a grain, this finding could help boost the amount of wheat produced per acre.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2025
Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs found in an ovary or on its surface.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2025
The doctor said they would have to cut out her ovary right away.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
Warm, dry spring weather improves a nest’s chance of survival as it ensures a good nectar supply for the queen to develop her ovaries and good prey populations for her to feed the brood.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
Mumps can cause deafness and inflame the brain, pancreas, testicles, ovaries and breast tissue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Egg freezing involves stimulating the ovaries with hormone injections before mature eggs are surgically retrieved and preserved for possible future use through in vitro fertilization.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
She is currently going through her third medically induced menopause, which "shuts down" her ovaries and helps manage her pain.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Tumors the size of baseballs had nearly replaced her kidneys, bladder, ovaries, and uterus.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
