androgen

noun

an·​dro·​gen ˈan-drə-jən How to pronounce androgen (audio)
: a male sex hormone (such as testosterone)
androgenic adjective

Examples of androgen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Essentially, people with this condition have inherited genes—from either or both of their parents—that are extra sensitive to androgens, hormones that play a major role in regulating hair growth. Krissy Brady, SELF, 8 Feb. 2024 Secondly, what constituted a PCOS diagnosis wasn’t a doctor’s opinion, but androgen levels and participants’ recollections of their symptoms. Kristen Rogers, CNN, 31 Jan. 2024 For adults with ovaries, androgen levels remain constant throughout their most of their menstrual cycle. Angela Palmer, Verywell Health, 17 Jan. 2024 Her body’s complete insensitivity to androgens had left her with a typical female appearance. S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2023 Aromatase is an enzyme involved in the conversion of androgens to estrogens. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 6 Oct. 2023 That tells us androgen therapy and activation of androgen receptors counteracts estrogen receptor signaling. Angus Chen, STAT, 8 Mar. 2023 Stress: Your body secretes more androgens than usual if you are stressed. Jacqueline Andriakos, Health, 25 Aug. 2023 The report also pointed to drugs promoted on TikTok that are popular in fitness communities and considered similar to steroids — peptides and selective androgen receptor modulators, or SARMs. Huiling Zhou, NBC News, 28 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'androgen.' 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

andro- + -gen, after estrogen

Note: The term was apparently introduced in a short article "The Nomenclature of 'Male Hormones'" by the American Medical Society's Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry, published in the Journal of the American Medical Society, vol. 107, no. 3 (July 18, 1936), p. 212.

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of androgen was in 1936

Dictionary Entries Near androgen

Cite this Entry

“Androgen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/androgen. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

androgen

noun
an·​dro·​gen ˈan-drə-jən How to pronounce androgen (audio)
: a male sex hormone (as testosterone)

Medical Definition

androgen

noun
an·​dro·​gen ˈan-drə-jən How to pronounce androgen (audio)
: a male sex hormone (as testosterone)
androgenic adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on androgen

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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