ovary

noun

ova·​ry ˈō-və-rē 

ˈōv-rē

plural ovaries

1

: one of the typically paired essential female reproductive organs that produce eggs and in vertebrates female sex hormones

2

: the enlarged rounded usually basal portion of the pistil or gynoecium of an angiospermous plant that bears the ovules and consists of one or more carpels see flower illustration

Examples of ovary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Your healthcare provider will use a thin needle with ultrasound guidance to locate and remove the eggs from the ovaries. Insemination and fertilization: The provider places the eggs and sperm together in a petri dish in the lab. —Khadeja Haye, Verywell Health, 26 Feb. 2025

Those with two X chromosomes and ovaries lived longest, followed by mice with two X chromosomes and testes. —Mohana Ravindranath, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025

Shearer underwent months of chemotherapy and radiation and multiple surgeries, including the double mastectomy and removal of her ovaries. —Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025

Ovulation Ovulation occurs when an egg is released from the ovary. —Wendy Wisner, Health, 1 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin ovarium, from Latin ovum egg

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ovary

• polycystic ovary syndrome

Kids Definition

ovary

noun

ova·​ry ˈōv-(ə-)rē 

plural ovaries

1

: one of the usually paired organs in the body of female animals that produces eggs and that in female vertebrates also produces sex hormones

2

: the enlarged rounded lower part of the pistil of a flower in which seeds are formed

Medical Definition

ovary

noun

ova·​ry ˈōv-(ə-)rē 

plural ovaries

1

: one of the typically paired essential female reproductive organs that produce eggs and in vertebrates female sex hormones, that occur in the adult human as oval flattened bodies about one and a half inches (four centimeters) long suspended from the dorsal surface of the broad ligament of either side, that arise from the mesonephros, and that consist of a vascular fibrous stroma enclosing developing egg cells

2

: the female reproductive structure of an angiosperm that bears ovules and is enclosed in a flower