progesterone

noun

pro·​ges·​ter·​one prō-ˈje-stə-ˌrōn How to pronounce progesterone (audio)
: a female steroid sex hormone C21H30O2 that is secreted by the corpus luteum to prepare the endometrium for implantation and later by the placenta during pregnancy to prevent rejection of the developing embryo or fetus
also : a synthetic steroid resembling progesterone in action

Examples of progesterone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The first season—the menstrual phase, known as inner winter—refers to the days of bleeding when hormone levels, such as estrogen and progesterone, are low and symptoms may include cramping, bloating, low energy levels, headaches skin blemishes and mood changes. Hatty Willmoth, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025 Systemic hormones: Oral medications, skin patches, and injections of estrogen or progesterone may help address broader menopause symptoms. Brandi Jones, Health, 18 May 2025 So, Patel switched to a new doctor who prescribed low-dose hormone therapy in the form of an estrogen patch and progesterone pill. Erica Sweeney, SELF, 18 Apr. 2025 The study might help explain why women in menopause – when estrogen and progesterone levels fall – experience chronic pain, and also why certain painkilling drugs are more effective in women than men. Michael Franco, New Atlas, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for progesterone

Word History

Etymology

blend of progestin and luteosterone (borrowed from German Luteosteron, from luteo- luteo- + -steron -sterone), both earlier names for progesterone

Note: The name resulted from a compromise between researchers associated with the earlier names, the American gynecologist Willard M. Allen and embryologist George Washington Corner, and the German biochemists Adolph Butenandt and Karl Heinrich Slotta. See W. M. Allen, A. Butenandt, G. W. Corner, and K. H. Slotta, "Nomenclature of Corpus Luteum Hormone," Nature, vol. 136, number 303 (September 1, 1935), p. 303.

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of progesterone was in 1935

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Cite this Entry

“Progesterone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/progesterone. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

progesterone

noun
pro·​ges·​ter·​one prō-ˈjes-tə-ˌrōn How to pronounce progesterone (audio)
: a hormone that is produced by the corpus luteum and causes the uterus to change so that it provides a suitable environment for a fertilized egg

Medical Definition

progesterone

noun
pro·​ges·​ter·​one prō-ˈjes-tə-ˌrōn How to pronounce progesterone (audio)
: a female steroid sex hormone C21H30O2 that is secreted by the corpus luteum to prepare the endometrium for implantation and later by the placenta during pregnancy to prevent rejection of the developing embryo or fetus
also : a synthetic steroid resembling progesterone in action

More from Merriam-Webster on progesterone

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