ovulate

[ ov-yuh-leyt, oh-vyuh-leyt- ]

/ ˈɒv yəˌleɪt, ˈoʊ vyəˌleɪt- /

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verb (used without object), ov·u·lat·ed, ov·u·lat·ing.Biology.

to produce and discharge eggs from an ovary or ovarian follicle.

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Origin of ovulate

First recorded in 1860–65; ovule + -ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM ovulate

ov·u·la·tion, nounov·u·la·to·ry

[ov-yuh-luh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, oh-vyuh-], /ˈɒv yə ləˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i, ˈoʊ vyə-/, adjectivemul·ti·ov·u·late, adjectivemul·ti·ov·u·lat·ed, adjective

pre·ov·u·la·to·ry, adjective

Words nearby ovulate

ovotestis, ovovitellin, ovoviviparous, Ovshinsky effect, ovular, ovulate, ovulation, ovulation method, ovule, ovum, ow

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

How to use ovulate in a sentence

Some of us with two x-chromosomes might have done a pregnancy test or two, or needed to figure out when they’re ovulating, but there’s not much to that.
The Enthusiast's Guide To At-Home COVID-19 Tests|Belinda Luscombe|January 12, 2022|Time
The relief was overwhelming when we confirmed, by laparoscopically looking at the surface of the ovary, that the female had ovulated multiple eggs.
I Tried to Impregnate an Ocelot With Frozen Sperm From a Dead Cat|Ashley Reeves, The Conversation|November 23, 2021|The Daily Beast
The female we were working with was treated with hormones to help her ovulate at the proper time relative to the insemination procedure.
I Tried to Impregnate an Ocelot With Frozen Sperm From a Dead Cat|Ashley Reeves, The Conversation|November 23, 2021|The Daily Beast
How software inside the Flo app records information — say about when a user is ovulating — and passes it to Facebook, which can then use it to target ads, maybe for fertility services.
Kill Your Algorithm: Listen to the new podcast featuring tales from a more fearsome FTC|Kate Kaye|October 22, 2021|Digiday

If the mice had enlarged ovaries or signs of recently ovulating, then the test subject was pregnant, Aschheim and Zondek claimed.
An early U.S. pregnancy test involved sacrificing rabbits|Gillian Brockell|October 17, 2021|Washington Post
“As long as they have an adequate body weight, most women will ovulate just fine, even on marathon weekend,” he says.
Exercise and Fertility: Are You Too Fit to Get Pregnant?|DailyBurn|August 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Your doctor can help pinpoint any potential roadblocks and, in some cases, might prescribe medication to help you ovulate.
Exercise and Fertility: Are You Too Fit to Get Pregnant?|DailyBurn|August 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for ovulate

ovulate

/ (ˈɒvjʊˌleɪt) /

verb

(intr) to produce or discharge eggs from an ovary

Derived forms of ovulate

ovulation, noun

Word Origin for ovulate

C19: from ovule

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