Hormone Meaning
/ˈhɔːməʊn/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounAny substance produced by one tissue and conveyed by the bloodstream to another to effect physiological activity.
nounA synthetic compound with the same activity.
Sentence Examples
Female hormone imbalance is a major cause of infertility.
Estrogen is a hormone.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The gland releases a specific ____ that controls growth in children.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Insulin is an important ____ that helps the body regulate blood sugar levels efficiently.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Ancient Greek ὁρμή (hormḗ) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Ancient Greek -άω (-áō) Ancient Greek ὁρμῶν (hormôn)lbor. English hormone Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ὁρμῶν (hormôn), present participle of ὁρμάω (hormáō, “to set in motion, to urge on”), from ὁρμή (hormḗ, “rapid motion forwards, onrush, onset, assault, impulse to do a thing, effort”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Interfemale dominance may be facilitated by female sex hormones as well as adrenal testosterone..."
— 1998, Paul Valent, Trauma and fulfillment therapy: a wholist framework:
"Hormones are the bicycle couriers of the body, delivering chemical messages all around the teeming metropolis that is you."
— 2019, Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Black Swan (2020), page 165:
"The text recounts a 2011 experiment: Researchers tested 136 healthy young men’s testosterone levels, asked them about their political party affiliations, then gave them either a placebo or ten grams of AndroGel one percent, a high-end dose of a common form of testosterone often used in hormone replacement therapies. […] Alogaily and the paper’s co-authors argued that this is “evidence that neuro-active hormones affect political preferences”."
— 2023 April 5, Mark Hay, “Does Testosterone Affect Your Politics?”, in VICE:
"Tumours of the adrenal cortex which secreted feminizing hormones […]"
— 1962, D. J. B. Ashley, Human Intersex:
"Gender-affirming hormone therapy may involve testosterone for trans people assigned female at birth (AFAB) and estradiol and anti-androgens for trans people AMAB."
— 2021, Jane Y. Xu, Michelle A. O’Connell, Lauren Notini, Ada S. Cheung, Sav Zwickl, Ken C. Pang, “Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators: A Potential Option For Non-Binary Gender-Affirming Hormonal Care?”, in Front Endocrinol, →DOI:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The gland releases a specific ____ that controls growth in children.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Insulin is an important ____ that helps the body regulate blood sugar levels efficiently.