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sex hormone
noun
: a steroid hormone (such as estrogen or testosterone) that is produced especially by the ovaries, testes, or adrenal cortex and affects the growth or function of the reproductive organs or the development of secondary sex characteristics
Word History
First Known Use
1915, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near sex hormone
Cite this Entry
“Sex hormone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sex%20hormone. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
sex hormone
noun
: a hormone (as estrogen or testosterone) that affects the growth or function of the reproductive organs or the development of secondary sex characteristics
Medical Definition
sex hormone
noun
: a steroid hormone (as estradiol, progesterone, androstenedione, or testosterone) that is produced especially by the ovaries, testes, or adrenal cortex and that exerts estrogenic, progestational, or androgenic activity on the growth or function of the reproductive organs or on the development of secondary sex characteristics
More from Merriam-Webster on sex hormone
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sex hormone
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