ESTROGEN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does estrogen mean? 

• ESTROGEN (noun)
  The noun ESTROGEN has 1 sense:

1. a general term for female steroid sex hormones that are secreted by the ovary and responsible for typical female sexual characteristics

  Familiarity information: ESTROGEN used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ESTROGEN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A general term for female steroid sex hormones that are secreted by the ovary and responsible for typical female sexual characteristics

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

estrogen; oestrogen

Hypernyms ("estrogen" is a kind of...):

sex hormone; steroid; steroid hormone (any hormone affecting the development and growth of sex organs)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "estrogen"):

DES; diethylstilbestrol; diethylstilboestrol; stilbestrol; stilboestrol (a potent estrogen used in medicine and in feed for livestock and poultry)

estradiol; oestradiol (the most powerful female hormone that occurs naturally; synthesized and used to treat estrogen deficiency and breast cancer)

estriol; oestriol (a naturally occurring estrogenic hormone; a synthetic form is used to treat estrogen deficiency)

estrone; Estronol; oestrone; theelin (a naturally occurring weak estrogenic hormone secreted by the mammalian ovary; synthesized (trade name Estronol) and used to treat estrogen deficiency)

hexestrol (estrogen compound used to treat menstrual irregularities and menopausal symptoms and to prevent pregnancy)

mestranol (a synthetic form of estrogen used in combination with a progestin in oral contraceptives)

Derivation:

estrogenic (relating to or caused by estrogen)

 Context examples 

Similar to the agent raloxifene, arzoxifene binds to and interacts with estrogen receptors as a mixed estrogen agonist/antagonist.

(Arzoxifene, NCI Thesaurus)

Arzoxifene hydrochloride is made in the laboratory and binds to estrogen receptors in the body.

(Arzoxifene hydrochloride, NCI Dictionary)

Megace blocks the effects of the hormone estrogen in the body, which may help keep some cancer cells from growing.

(Megace, NCI Dictionary)

Menopause happens because the woman's ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

(Menopause, Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health)

Drug treatment to block the action of aromatases, thereby reducing estrogen biosynthesis.

(Aromatase Inhibition Therapy, NCI Thesaurus)

A p450-like enzyme, Aromatase catalyzes, with an NADPH-linked reductase, the oxidative aromatization of androgens to estrogens.

(Aromatase, NCI Thesaurus)

A nonsteroidal inhibitor of estrogen synthesis that resembles paclitaxel in chemical structure.

(Anastrozole, NCI Thesaurus)

For example, a drug that blocks the stimulating effect of estrogen on a tumor cell is called an estrogen receptor antagonist.

(Antagonist, NCI Dictionary)

The study found that a genetic test of the tumors could determine which women would benefit from taking only a drug that blocks the hormone estrogen or stops the body from making it.

(Study: Many Breast Cancer Patients Can Skip Chemo, VOA)

Aromasin causes a decrease in the amount of estrogen made by the body.

(Aromasin, NCI Dictionary)