oestrus

[ es-truhs, ee-struhs ]

noun

, Zoology.

1. Chiefly British. a variant of estrus.

oestrus

/ ˈɛstrəm; ˈiːstrəm; ˈiːstrəs; ˈɛstrəs /

noun

1. a regularly occurring period of sexual receptivity in most female mammals, except humans, during which ovulation occurs and copulation can take place; heat

Derived Forms

• ˈoestrous, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of oestrus¹

First recorded in 1690–1700; from Latin, from Greek oîstros “gadfly, sting, madness”

Word History and Origins

Origin of oestrus¹

C17: from Latin oestrus gadfly, hence frenzy, from Greek oistros

Example Sentences

Killing cubs accelerates the onset of oestrus in pride females and so is likely to increase the reproductive success of incoming males.

From Scientific American

Normally females will give birth to a pup each year, and they come into oestrus shortly afterwards and mate with the bulls.

From The Guardian

Odour cologne Decades before the famous smelly T-shirt research, another pioneering study took place that also suggested that human females have oestrus.

From The Guardian

And clinical trials have traditionally worked around the female oestrus cycle, because it can interfere with results.

From Scientific American

"A male lion coming across her and her cub could well be tempted to the killing of the cub in order to bring her back into oestrus and mate with her."

From BBC