pheromone

noun

pher·​o·​mone ˈfer-ə-ˌmōn How to pronounce pheromone (audio)
: a chemical substance that is usually produced by an animal and serves especially as a stimulus to other individuals of the same species for one or more behavioral responses
pheromonal adjective

Examples of pheromone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
When they're put in a crate and placed in a car or plane, none of their familiar smells − which come from pheromones in their cheeks − are there. Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024 The pheromones are pheremoning as the pair chat literature, homework, and school. Fletcher Peters, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2024 Humans release pheromones and skin oils that dogs associate with familiarity and love. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024 The move is a direct response to consumer appetite for both pheromone fragrances and the groundswell of interest in Glossier You, executives said. James Manso, WWD, 25 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pheromone 

Word History

Etymology

Greek phérein "to carry" + -o- + -mone (in hormone) — more at bear entry 2

Note: Name introduced by the German biochemist Peter Karlson (1918-2001) and the Swiss entomologist Martin Lüscher (1917-79) in "'Pheromones': a New Term for a Class of Biologically Active Substances," Nature, vol. 183, no. 4653 (January 3, 1959), pp. 55-56: "We propose, therefore, the designation 'pheromone' for this group of active substances. The name is derived from the Greek pherein, to transfer; hormōn, to excite. Pheromones are defined as substances which are secreted to the outside by an individual and received by a second individual of the same species, in which they release a specific reaction, for example, a definite behaviour or a developmental process."

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pheromone was in 1959

Dictionary Entries Near pheromone

Cite this Entry

“Pheromone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pheromone. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

pheromone

noun
pher·​o·​mone ˈfer-ə-ˌmōn How to pronounce pheromone (audio)
: a chemical substance (as a scent) that is produced by an animal and serves as a signal to other individuals of the same species to engage in some kind of behavior (as mating)

Medical Definition

pheromone

noun
pher·​o·​mone ˈfer-ə-ˌmōn How to pronounce pheromone (audio)
: a chemical substance that is produced by an animal and serves especially as a stimulus to other individuals of the same species for one or more behavioral responses

called also ectohormone

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