pheromone

noun

pher·​o·​mone ˈfer-ə-ˌmōn 

: a chemical substance that is usually produced by an animal and serves especially as a stimulus to other individuals of the same species for one or more behavioral responses

pheromonal

ˌfer-ə-ˈmō-nᵊl 

adjective

Examples of pheromone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Swarming often happens when a honey bee colony outgrows its home, becomes too congested or too populated for pheromones to properly spread around the colony and tell worker bees what to do, according to Hesbach. —Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2025

Those that consumed methanol showed a marked increase in the levels of pheromones known to be involved with the elaborate fruit fly courtship rituals. —ArsTechnica, 2 Apr. 2025

Researchers painted the walls with artificial pheromones to lure them through. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025

In this courtship melee, pheromones do most of the talking. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Greek phérein "to carry" + -o- + -mone (in hormone) — more at bear entry 2

Note: Name introduced by the German biochemist Peter Karlson (1918-2001) and the Swiss entomologist Martin Lüscher (1917-79) in "'Pheromones': a New Term for a Class of Biologically Active Substances," Nature, vol. 183, no. 4653 (January 3, 1959), pp. 55-56: "We propose, therefore, the designation 'pheromone' for this group of active substances. The name is derived from the Greek pherein, to transfer; hormōn, to excite. Pheromones are defined as substances which are secreted to the outside by an individual and received by a second individual of the same species, in which they release a specific reaction, for example, a definite behaviour or a developmental process."

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pheromone

• acetone
• anglophone
• baritone
• bourguignon
• buspirone
• chaperon
• chaperone
• cobblestone
• collarbone
• cornerstone
• cortisone
• dictaphone

Kids Definition

pheromone

noun

pher·​o·​mone ˈfer-ə-ˌmōn 

: a chemical substance (as a scent) that is produced by an animal and serves as a signal to other individuals of the same species to engage in some kind of behavior (as mating)

Medical Definition

pheromone

noun

pher·​o·​mone ˈfer-ə-ˌmōn 

: a chemical substance that is produced by an animal and serves especially as a stimulus to other individuals of the same species for one or more behavioral responses

called also ectohormone