corpus luteum

noun

corpus lu·te·um | \-ˈlü-tē-əm

plural corpora lutea\-ˈlü-tē-ə

Definition of corpus luteum

: a yellowish mass of progesterone-secreting endocrine tissue that forms immediately after ovulation from the ruptured graafian follicle in the mammalian ovary —abbreviation CL

Examples of corpus luteum in a Sentence

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After the follicle releases the egg, the follicle shrinks into a mass called the corpus luteum. — Zahra Barnes, SELF, "This Is Exactly What Happens During Your Menstrual Cycle," 23 Feb. 2018 After an egg has been released from an ovary, the ovarian follicle collapses to temporarily form the corpus luteum, which produces progesterone, the Mayo Clinic explains. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Here's Why Khloe Kardashian Used Hormone Suppositories at the Beginning of Her Pregnancy," 28 Feb. 2018 If the egg is not fertilized, the corpus luteum decays, stops producing progesterone, and the whole cycle starts over again. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Here's Why Khloe Kardashian Used Hormone Suppositories at the Beginning of Her Pregnancy," 28 Feb. 2018 After your follicle releases an egg, the empty sac shrinks and becomes a mass of cells called corpus luteum. — Korin Miller, SELF, "What to Do If You Think an Ovarian Cyst Burst," 22 Dec. 2017 Doctors put most ovarian cysts into two categories: follicular cysts and corpus luteum cysts. — Korin Miller, SELF, "What to Do If You Think an Ovarian Cyst Burst," 22 Dec. 2017 The other main kind of ovarian cyst is a corpus luteum cyst. — Korin Miller, SELF, "What to Do If You Think an Ovarian Cyst Burst," 22 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'corpus luteum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of corpus luteum was in 1788

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corpus luteum

noun

corpus lu·te·um | \-ˈlüt-ē-əm, -lü-ˈtē-əm

plural corpora lutea\-ə

Medical Definition of corpus luteum

: a yellowish mass of progesterone-secreting endocrine tissue that consists of pale secretory cells derived from granulosa cells, that forms immediately after ovulation from the ruptured graafian follicle in the mammalian ovary, and that regresses rather quickly if the ovum is not fertilized but persists throughout the ensuing pregnancy if it is fertilized