ovary

American  

[oh-vuh-ree] / ˈoʊ və ri /

noun

plural

ovaries

1. Anatomy, Zoology. the female gonad or reproductive gland, in which the ova and the hormones that regulate female secondary sex characteristics develop.

2. Botany. the enlarged lower part of the pistil in angiospermous plants, enclosing the ovules or young seeds.

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ovary British  

/ ˈəʊvərɪ, əʊˈvɛərɪən /

noun

1. either of the two female reproductive organs, which produce ova and secrete oestrogen hormones

2. the corresponding organ in vertebrate and invertebrate animals

3. botany the hollow basal region of a carpel containing one or more ovules. In some plants the carpels are united to form a single compound ovary

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ovary Scientific  

/ ō′və-rē /

1. The reproductive organ in female animals that produces eggs and the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. In most vertebrate animals, the ovaries occur in pairs. In mammals, the ovaries contain numerous follicles, which house the developing eggs (oocytes).

2. See more at menstrual cycle ovulation

3. The part of a carpel or of a gynoecium made of fused carpels that contains the ovules in a flower. The ovary is located at the base of the carpel and ripens into a fruit after fertilization of one or more of the ovules.

4. See more at flower

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Other Word Forms

• ovarian adjective
• pseudovary noun

Etymology

Origin of ovary

First recorded in 1650–60; from New Latin ōvārium; ovum, -ary

Example Sentences

She underwent fertility treatment to try to stimulate her ovaries to produce as many eggs as possible.

From BBC

By the time she was diagnosed, she had reached stage 4, with deep infiltrating endometriosis spread across her ligaments, intestine, pelvis, ovaries and uterus.

From BBC

Harriet Amos, a musician and teacher from Worcester, was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2016 and has since undergone five operations, including the removal of one of her ovaries.

From BBC

It often affects the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue lining the pelvis.

From BBC

The NHS defines endometriosis as a "chronic, often painful condition" where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows outside of it, commonly on pelvic organs like ovaries and fallopian tubes.

From BBC