growth regulator

noun

: any of various synthetic or naturally occurring plant substances (such as an auxin or gibberellin) that regulate growth

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web This shampoo contains an insect growth regulator that prevents fleas from reproducing. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 17 Oct. 2022 Precor, an insect growth regulator, provides the protection that your pup needs. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 23 Oct. 2022 Verdant produces sheets, stickers and labels containing a plant growth regulator that slows the ripening of fruits, produce and flowers. Evan Ramstad, Star Tribune, 2 July 2021 They are dosed with growth regulators to keep them compact, and their production timing has been honed down to a science that would make a Swiss watchmaker proud. Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 8 May 2020 The last step is to apply an insect growth regulator (IGR), which is essentially birth control for roaches. Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 13 Nov. 2019 But the chemicals that came out of the screen were known to interact with other key proteins in the cell (such as the growth regulator Raf). John Timmer, Ars Technica, 1 Nov. 2019 The fly also can be somewhat controlled on fruiting trees by limiting the olive production using growth regulators. Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 6 June 2019 Today, researchers recognize that TOR growth regulators are involved in a multitude of processes, including aging, brain development, and diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Giorgia Guglielmi, Science | AAAS, 6 Sep. 2017 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of growth regulator was in 1936

Dictionary Entries Near growth regulator

Cite this Entry

“Growth regulator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/growth%20regulator. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.

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