Corticosteroid
/ˌkɔːr.tɪ.koʊˈstɛr.ɔɪd/noun
A steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex or a synthetic drug that mimics its effects.
Did you know?Corticosteroid is a modern scientific compound built from Latin cortex (“bark,” later “outer layer”) plus steroid, so its name literally points to the adrenal gland’s outer shell rather than any occult origin.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sker-
“to cut, scrape”
Latin
Latin
cortex
“bark; rind; outer covering”
18th–19th Century
English
cortex
“the outer layer of an organ or structure”
1930s
English
steroid
“a class of organic compounds related to sterols”
20th Century
English
corticosteroid
“a steroid hormone from the adrenal cortex or a synthetic drug resembling it”
Explore more surprising origins