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 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 Hormone therapy: Birth control pills may reduce hormonal acne by limiting the effects of androgens. Jacqueline Andriakos, Health, 25 Aug. 2023 Hormones called androgens are primarily to blame for significant hair loss; specifically, an androgen called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which the body creates from its total supply of testosterone each day. Marisa Sloan, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2023 Discovery and therapeutic promise of selective androgen receptor modulators. The Salt Lake Tribune, 25 July 2023 Selective androgen receptor modulators: the future of androgen therapy? The Salt Lake Tribune, 25 July 2023 See More

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 1 Dec. 2023.

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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