ovary

noun

ova·​ry ˈō-və-rē 

ˈōv-rē

plural ovaries

1

: one of the typically paired essential female reproductive organs that produce eggs and in vertebrates female sex hormones

2

: the enlarged rounded usually basal portion of the pistil or gynoecium of an angiospermous plant that bears the ovules and consists of one or more carpels see flower illustration

Examples of ovary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Menopause is a time when your ovaries stop producing estrogen and your female hormone reserves are depleted, says Ross. —Elizabeth Yuko, Flow Space, 17 Dec. 2025

Bowden is investigating the hormones and other molecules that might turn differences of a few degrees into ovaries or testes. —Elizabeth Preston, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025

Merhi and his colleagues hypothesized that, when injected into aging ovaries, these factors might activate dormant follicles and improve egg quality. —Matt Emma, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025

Then came her egg retrieval, a process that requires medications designed to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple mature eggs. —Anna Halkidis, Parents, 9 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin ovarium, from Latin ovum egg

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ovary

• polycystic ovary syndrome

Kids Definition

ovary

noun

ova·​ry ˈōv-(ə-)rē 

plural ovaries

1

: one of the usually paired organs in the body of female animals that produces eggs and that in female vertebrates also produces sex hormones

2

: the enlarged rounded lower part of the pistil of a flower in which seeds are formed

Medical Definition

ovary

noun

ova·​ry ˈōv-(ə-)rē 

plural ovaries

1

: one of the typically paired essential female reproductive organs that in vertebrates produce eggs and female sex hormones, that occur in the adult human as oval-shaped flattened bodies about one-and-a-half inches (four centimeters) long suspended from the dorsal surface of the broad ligament of either side, that arise from the mesonephros, and that consist of a vascular fibrous stroma enclosing developing egg cells

2

: the female reproductive structure of an angiosperm that bears ovules and is enclosed in a flower