estrous

[ es-truhs ]

adjective

, Zoology.

1. relating to or involving the period of maximum sexual receptivity of a female mammal.

Word History and Origins

Origin of estrous¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; oestrous

Example Sentences

This process is similar in other female mammals, where it is called the estrous cycle.

From Science Daily

But the estrous cycle has little to do with how female mice behave, according to a new study that used machine-learning software to track the second-to-second behavior of animals exploring an open space.

From New York Times

“The prosecutor sensed her presence from all the way down the corridor, overpowering the usual prison smells — disinfectant, sweat — with the crazed perfume of estrous animal passion.”

From Washington Post

The somer-keirimer cycle strikes us as degrading, a return to the estrous cycle of the lower mammals, a subjection of human beings to the mechanical imperative of rut.

From Literature

But even in non-stressful situations, female cheetahs' estrous cycles are extremely unpredictable.

From Scientific American