pheromone

American  

[fer-uh-mohn] / ˈfɛr əˌmoʊn /

noun

Animal Behavior.

1. any chemical substance released by an animal that serves to influence the physiology or behavior of other members of the same species.

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pheromone British  

/ ˈfɛrəˌməʊn /

noun

1. a chemical substance, secreted externally by certain animals, such as insects, affecting the behaviour or physiology of other animals of the same species

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pheromone Scientific  

/ fĕr′ə-mōn′ /

1. A chemical secreted by an animal that influences the behavior or development of other members of the same species. Queen bees, for example, give off a pheromone that prevents other females in the hive from becoming sexually mature, with the result that only the queen bee mates and lays eggs. In many animal species, pheromones are used to establish territory and attract mates.

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Closer Look

The release of pheromones is one of various forms of nonverbal communication many animals use to transmit messages to other members of the same species. The complex molecular structure of pheromones allows these chemical messages to contain a great deal of often very specific information. The pheromone released by sexually receptive silkworm moths, first isolated in the 1950s, is one of the best-studied examples. The pheromone bombykol, released by the female from a gland in her belly, is detectable by male silkworm moths up to several kilometers away. The male identifies the chemical in the environment with tiny receptors at the tip of his antennae and is then able to hone in on the female. Hornets, when disturbed, release an alarm pheromone that calls other hornets to their aid. Female mice pheromones may excite a male mouse to mate immediately. In addition to producing instinctive behavioral responses, pheromones can also produce changes in an animal's physiology, spurring the onset of puberty or bringing on estrus. Pheromones used by animals, such as cats and dogs, to mark territory can convey information about an animal's species, gender, age, social and reproductive status, size, and even when it was last in the area. But can humans communicate via chemicals, too? In the 1970s Martha McClintock showed that the menstrual cycles of women living closely together in dormitories tended to become synchronized, an effect thought by some to be mediated by pheromones. Despite such evidence, no pheromone receptors have yet been found in humans.

Other Word Forms

• pheromonal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of pheromone

1959; < Greek phér ( ein ) to bear, bring + -o- + (hor)mone

Explanation

Pheromones are chemical signals that animals send to each other. You can think of pheromones as an invisible form of communication. Scientists suspect that humans secrete pheromones, which are sort of like hormones that are released outside the body, but there's still no proof that we can perceive them the way other animals can. Ants, for example, send complex messages using these chemicals, directing each other toward food or warning of danger. Other animals use pheromones to attract mates and mark territory. Pheromone, modeled on hormone, is from the Greek pherein, "to carry."

Example Sentences

She travels round and touches the bees with her own pheromone.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

“You’re literally managing a pest by preventing it from being born in the first place,” said Haviland of both sterile insect technique and pheromone mating disruption.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2024

Some, such as pheromone composition, directly influence the insect’s preference for partners, ensuring H. elevatus mates mostly with members of its own species and only occasionally with its parent species.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 17, 2024

A series of experiments led them to a gene called HparOR14 as the sex pheromone receptor -- incidentally, the first such to be identified in a beetle species.

From Science Daily • Jan. 18, 2024

There are specific genes that cause female worker bees to be more receptive to this pheromone, and consequently to engage in retinue behavior.

From Salon • Oct. 17, 2023

Related Words

• aura
• bouquet
• essence
• odor
• perfume
• spice
• whiff