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

There’s spit and mouthwash and ovulation and glimpses of Lorde riding her bike, swallowing MDMA, dragging on a cigarette. —Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2025

Gone were the days when ovulation could be loosely inferred from intuition and a calendar—modern methods required data. —Anonymous, Vogue, 10 May 2025

Then, when ovulation does happen (but pregnancy does not), the builtup lining can come out all at once during menstruation, causing heavy bleeding. —Ashley Abramson, SELF, 7 May 2025

Symptoms can include excessive hair growth, irregular ovulation, and ovarian cysts. —Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 22 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

ovule or its source, Medieval Latin ōvulum + -ation

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ovulation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

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