estrus

noun

es·​trus ˈe-strəs How to pronounce estrus (audio)
: a regularly recurrent state of sexual receptivity during which the female of most mammals will accept the male and is capable of conceiving : heat
Some mares will exhibit estrus for 15 to 20 days.Frederick Harper
also : a single occurrence of this state

Examples of estrus 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.
Bucks are cruising, chasing, and tending estrus does. Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024 Early Estrus Does Those with a traditional mid-November rut should see 90 to 95 percent of does enter estrus during the 11th month. Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 24 Oct. 2024 Electricity is used to stimulate cell division, and, when this embryo is still just a bundle of cells on the scale of micrometres, a second dog, also in estrus, is operated on to become a surrogate mother. Alexandra Horowitz, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024 While it’s well established that lengthening daylight triggers a cat’s estrus, the effect of rising temperatures on kitten season isn’t yet understood. Sachi Mulkey, WIRED, 23 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for estrus 

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin oestrus gadfly, frenzy, from Greek oistros — more at ire

First Known Use

circa 1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of estrus was circa 1890

Dictionary Entries Near estrus

Cite this Entry

“Estrus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/estrus. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

estrus

noun
es·​trus ˈes-trəs How to pronounce estrus (audio)
1
: a periodic state during which the female of most mammals is willing to mate with the male and is capable of becoming pregnant
2
estrous
-trəs
adjective

Medical Definition

estrus

noun
es·​trus ˈes-trəs How to pronounce estrus (audio)
variants or estrum or chiefly British oestrus or oestrum
1
a
: a regularly recurrent state of sexual excitability during which the female of most mammals will accept the male and is capable of conceiving : heat
b
: a single occurrence of this state
2

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