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 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 Normally cycling participants earned about US$335 per 5-h shift during estrus, US$260 per shift during the luteal phase, and US$185 per shift during menstruation. Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2019 See all Example Sentences for estrus 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'estrus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 5 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

More from Merriam-Webster on estrus

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