steroid
noun
ste·roid
ˈster-ˌȯid
also
ˈstir-
plural steroids
: any of various compounds containing a 17-carbon 4-ring system and including the sterols and numerous hormones (such as anabolic steroids or corticosteroids) and glycosides
Fifty steroids have been shown to be present in the adrenal cortex. Only seven of these, however, have been shown to exert a significant biological effect related to adrenal cortical function.—John E. Hoover
often, specifically
: anabolic steroid
an athlete taking/using steroids
a steroid user
Their … reporting triggered a national wake-up call about steroid use that led to congressional hearings, and, at long last, steroid testing in baseball. —Rick Reilly
see also steroid hormone
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