ovulation

noun

ovu·​la·​tion ˌä vyə-ˈlā-shən  ˌō- 

: the discharge of a mature ovum from the ovary

Doctors have found that a few days before ovulation, as many as 30 to 50 egg follicles have begun to mature. Normally, only one will fully ripen … and the rest are lost.

—Mary Duenwald

In principle, ovulation takes place midway through a 28-day … cycle.

—Judith N. Schwartz

Examples of ovulation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead, the medication delays ovulation so a woman doesn’t become pregnant, according to the Mayo Clinic. —Yasmine Salam, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2024

Some women are questioning the privacy of their ovulation and fertility data out of fear that it could be weaponized against them under a second Trump administration. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 1 Dec. 2024

Symptoms include lack of ovulation, irregular menstruation, acne, and excess body hair.1 PCOS is linked to insulin resistance and obesity. —Joy Emeh, Health, 21 Nov. 2024

In such examples, the pedometer is assumed to provide accurate knowledge of the hard-to-track phenomena, whether that’s 24-hour canine activity, children’s play or the mysteries of cow ovulation. —Jacqueline D. Wernimont, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

ovule or its source, Medieval Latin ōvulum + -ation

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

ovulation

noun

ovu·​la·​tion ˌäv-yə-ˈlā-shən 

also

ˌōv- 

: the discharge of a mature ovum from the ovary

The persistent high level of estrogen induces an abrupt release of luteinizing hormone from the pituitary gland, and this hormonal surge then triggers ovulation.

—Hsiu-Wei Su et al., Bioengineering & Translational Medicine