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

Endometriosis occurs when tissue like the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as ovaries, fallopian tubes and other organs.

From BBC

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

In work recently published in PNAS, the team reports that common viruses can cause a queen's ovaries to shrink.

From Science Daily

In the following weeks, Lisa endured nausea and headaches from twice-a-day hormone injections intended to coax the ovaries to produce more than one egg a month.

From The Wall Street Journal

The mum-of-three says she was completely unprepared for the impact of surgical menopause, which is triggered by both ovaries being removed.

From BBC