sex hormone

American  

noun

Biochemistry.

1. any of a class of steroid hormones that regulate the growth and function of the reproductive organs or stimulate the development of the secondary sexual characteristics.

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sex hormone British  

noun

1. an animal hormone affecting development and growth of reproductive organs and related parts

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sex hormone Scientific  

1. Any of various steroid hormones that regulate the sexual development of an organism and are needed for reproduction. Testosterone and estrogen are sex hormones.

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Etymology

Origin of sex hormone

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

They homed in on testosterone by experimenting with sex hormone changes in the animals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

The research indicates a need to better understand the role of estradiol -- a form of the female sex hormone estrogen, used therapeutically to mitigate menopause symptoms -- in Alzheimer's disease.

From Science Daily • Oct. 17, 2023

"Once the pregnancy is over, they can resume the sex hormone therapy," says Dr Mahesh DM, an endocrinologist in Bangalore city who has worked with several transgender people.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2023

The first trans patient treated with blockers, from age 13 to 18, moved on to testosterone, the male sex hormone.

From New York Times • Nov. 14, 2022

Examples of steroid hormones include estradiol, which is an estrogen, or female sex hormone, and testosterone, which is an androgen, or male sex hormone.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022