Ovarian

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /oʊˈvɛɹi.ən/

Definitions

1. Pertaining to the organs in females that generate ova and hormones
2. Concerning the glands within the female reproductive system that play a key role in fertility and hormonal balance
3. Relating to the reproductive organs in females responsible for producing eggs and regulating hormones

Etymology: "Ovarian" is a plain formation: the adjective "ovary" with the suffix "-an" attached. "Ovary" itself came into English around 1840, in the anatomical vocabulary of the nineteenth century, when physicians and naturalists were naming the organs they were beginning to study closely. The adjective followed the same pattern as other English words built from Latin-derived stems with "-an," such as "Lutheran" or "Chilean," where the suffix means "of or relating to." The noun "ovary" rests on the Latin "ovum," meaning "egg." That is the whole logic of the word: the ovary is the egg-bearing organ, and "ovarian" describes anything belonging to it. The term is a technical coinage from classical roots rather than a word that circulated in ancient medicine, so its history is best understood as a modern scientific label built from familiar parts.

Synonyms: relating to ovaries