norethynodrel

American

[nawr-uh-thahy-nuh-druhl, naw-reth-uh-nuh-drel] / ˌnɔr əˈθaɪ nə drəl, nɔˈrɛθ ə nəˌdrɛl /

noun

Pharmacology.

a progestin, C 2 0 H 2 6 O 2 , used in combination with an estrogen in some oral contraceptives.

Etymology

Origin of norethynodrel

1955–60; nor- + ethyn(yl) , components of 2 versions of its chemical name + -odrel, of uncertain derivation

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The two best known are norethynodrel, the main ingredient in Enovid, and norethindrone, used in the other contraceptive pills now marketed in the U.S. and by various manufacturers around the world.

From Time Magazine Archive

Then Pincus and colleagues found that norethynodrel worked better and in far smaller doses.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023