Oestrus
/ˈiːstrəs/noun
A recurring period of sexual receptivity in many female mammals; also, a state of intense enthusiasm or frenzy.
Did you know?The same Greek root behind *oestrus* also gave us *ecstasy* through a chain of words meaning a mind driven out of its normal state.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
oîstros (οἶστρος)
“A gadfly or horsefly; also a driving sting, frenzy, or maddening impulse.”
Late Latin
Latin
oestrus
“A gadfly; also agitation or frenzy, borrowed from Greek.”
14th–17th Century
English
estrus / oestrus
“A borrowed learned term, first for frenzy or passionate excitement, later for the heat cycle in animals.”
19th Century
English
oestrus
“A technical biological term for the recurring heat period in female mammals.”
Modern English
English
oestrus
“The period of sexual receptivity in many female mammals.”