ovulate

American  

[ov-yuh-leyt, oh-vyuh-leyt-] / ˈɒv yəˌleɪt, ˈoʊ vyəˌleɪt- /

verb (used without object)

Biology.

ovulated, ovulating

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

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ovulate British  

/ ˈɒvjʊˌleɪt /

verb

1. (intr) to produce or discharge eggs from an ovary

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Other Word Forms

• multiovulate adjective
• multiovulated adjective
• ovulation noun
• ovulatory adjective
• preovulatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of ovulate

First recorded in 1860–65; ovule + -ate ¹

Example Sentences

The process doesn’t require a patient to be ovulating, like egg freezing does, which means a patient doesn’t have to undergo hormone treatments.

From Salon

Among the findings, the atlas reveals that roughly one hour before an egg is released, the follicles undergo an additional layer of selection to determine which ones will ovulate.

From Science Daily

She notes that females add kilograms when they ovulate and lactate.

From Science Magazine

In the other, the whales weren’t pregnant during the first massive progesterone surge, but were instead experiencing a prolonged state of estrus or ovulating.

From New York Times

The newest health sensor on the Apple Watch Series 8 is a temperature monitor that will initially be used to estimate when someone ovulated.

From The Verge