Oestrogen
/ˈiːstrədʒən/noun
A class of steroid hormones that promote the development and maintenance of female reproductive tissues and secondary sex characteristics.
Did you know?The word was coined in the 1920s from Greek roots for “gadfly” and “frenzy/heat,” because the same root behind oestrus originally described animals driven wild as if stung into movement.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
oîstros
“gadfly; sting; later, frenzy or maddening impulse”
Late Latin
Latin
oestrus
“gadfly; violent passion; rutting heat in animals”
1900s
English
oestrus
“the period of sexual receptivity in female mammals”
1920s
English
oestrogen
“a hormone substance associated with female sexual development and reproductive function”
Modern English
English
oestrogen
“the standard British spelling of estrogen”