Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Some previous options for male birth control, like the herb gossypol, tested in the 1970s, effectively lowered sperm counts, but proved to permanently affect sperm production in some men.—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 11 Oct. 2017 It was previously referred to in print as gossypol.—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 1 May 2018 But because of the gossypol, cottonseed itself hasn’t been a source of human food.—Rachel Sugar, Vox, 19 Oct. 2018 Coutinho’s research into gossypol, which spanned more than three decades, was dismissed far more often than it was embraced.—Kate Morgan, The Cut, 3 Apr. 2018
Word History
Etymology
International Scientific Vocabulary, ultimately from Latin gossypion cotton
Share