relaxin
[ ri-lak-sin ]
nounBiochemistry, Pharmacology.
a polypeptide hormone produced by the corpus luteum during pregnancy that causes the pelvic ligaments and cervix to relax during pregnancy and delivery.
Origin of relaxin
1Words Nearby relaxin
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use relaxin in a sentence
There’s also some concern about the hormone relaxin, which relaxes joints to aid in the birthing process.
British Dictionary definitions for relaxin
relaxin
/ (rɪˈlæksɪn) /
noun
a mammalian polypeptide hormone secreted by the corpus luteum during pregnancy, which relaxes the pelvic ligaments
a preparation of this hormone, used to facilitate childbirth
Origin of relaxin
1C20: from relax + -in
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
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