Estrus
/ˈɛs.trəs/noun
A recurring period of sexual receptivity in many female mammals.
Did you know?The word ultimately traces back to Greek oîstros, which meant a gadfly, a sting, and even a furious driving madness—proof that ancient people linked desire with being possessed by a force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂eysd-
“to rush, incite, or drive on”
Ancient Greek
Greek
oîstros (οἶστρος)
“a gadfly; a sting; a frantic impulse or frenzy”
Late Latin
Latin
oestrus
“a gadfly; a state of frenzy or goading”
16th Century
English
estrus / oestrus
“a state of sexual excitement or frenzy in animals”
Modern English
English
estrus
“the recurring period when a female mammal is sexually receptive”