Steroid
/ˈstɛr.ɔɪd/noun
A class of organic compounds with a characteristic four-ring structure, including hormones like testosterone and cholesterol.
Did you know?The word was coined in the 19th century from Greek roots, and its original sense was purely structural — long before it became linked to muscles, hormones, and body transformation.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
stereós
“solid, firm, hard”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-eidēs
“having the form of, resembling”
Late 19th Century
English
steroid
“a chemistry term for compounds resembling cholesterol in structure”
20th Century
English
steroid
“a broader name for a class of hormones and related compounds”
Modern English
English
steroid
“a class of organic compounds, many of them biologically active hormones”
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