pheromone

noun

pher·​o·​mone ˈfer-ə-ˌmōn How to pronounce pheromone (audio)
: 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 adjective

Examples of pheromone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There are daytime dark fireflies, which are active during the day and use pheromones rather than lights to communicate. Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 7 June 2024 Drone caused bugs to freeze in place Prior to the drone experiment, stink bug observation and surveillance typically consisted of using pheromone traps to lure in the insects for manual counting. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 6 June 2024 Receptor production spiked at night every 48 hours around the time female pheromone production peaked, then hit a low the next night. Andrew Chapman, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024 Only about 10 percent of the human population can detect the pheromone by smell. Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 22 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pheromone 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pheromone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of pheromone was in 1959

Dictionary Entries Near pheromone

Cite this Entry

“Pheromone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pheromone. Accessed 16 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

pheromone

noun
pher·​o·​mone ˈfer-ə-ˌmōn How to pronounce pheromone (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce pheromone (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on pheromone

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