testis

noun

tes·​tis ˈte-stəs 

plural testes ˈte-ˌstēz 

: a typically paired male reproductive gland that produces sperm and secretes testosterone and that in most mammals is contained within the scrotum at sexual maturity

Examples of testis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

People with either testes or ovaries are most common, but some people have both, and a few have ovotestes. —Agustín Fuentes, Scientific American, 25 Feb. 2025

In fact in men, about 20% of the hormones are made by the testes, while the rest comes from the conversion of testosterone through an enzyme known as aromatase in the brain, skin, bone, and fatty tissue. —Michael Franco, New Atlas, 19 Feb. 2025

This may help to explain why male marsupial moles lack a scrotum and have their testes perched in their abdominal wall. —Charles Feigin / The Conversation, Popular Science, 23 Jan. 2025

Bilateral testes atrophy may occur due to other causes (environmental or genetic). —Matthew Wosnitzer, Verywell Health, 5 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, witness, testis

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for testis

• asbestos
• hephaestus

Kids Definition

testis

noun

tes·​tis ˈtes-təs 

plural testes ˈtes-ˌtēz 

: an oval-shaped male reproductive gland that produces sperm and secretes testosterone and that in most mammals is contained within the scrotum

Medical Definition

testis

noun

tes·​tis ˈtes-təs 

plural testes ˈtes-ˌtēz 

: a typically paired male reproductive gland that usually consists largely of seminiferous tubules from the epithelium of which spermatozoa develop, that contains androgen-secreting Leydig cells in the interstitial tissue, that corresponds to the ovary of the female and in craniate vertebrates develops from the genital ridges of the embryo, and that in most mammals descends into the scrotum before the attainment of sexual maturity and in many cases before birth