ovarian

adjective ovar·i·an \ ō-ˈver-ē-ən \

variants: or less commonly ovarial play \ō-ˈver-ē-əl\

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

Definition of ovarian

: of, relating to, or involving an ovary

ovarian cancer

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Recent Examples of ovarian from the Web

The idea for Kikoko tea came from a mutual friend, Jan, who used cannabis as an alternative to pharmaceuticals to treat pain, nausea, anxiety, insomnia, and loss of appetite during her battle with ovarian cancer.

— steffi victorioso, Los Angeles Magazine, "Local Women Are Hosting Fancy “High Teas” With the Help of a Cannabis Brand," 29 May 2018
No matter the underlying reason, premature ovarian insufficiency can lead to short, irregular, or completely MIA periods.

— korin miller, SELF, "How Long Does a Period Last, Normally?," 17 May 2018
According to the Mayo Clinic, it can be caused by inflammation and scar tissue due to pregnancy, pelvic surgery (like a hysterectomy), ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, cancer treatment, and pelvic inflammatory disease, among others.

— carolyn l. todd, Glamour, "This Weird Little 'Doughnut' Wants to Put an End to Painful Sex," 15 May 2018
Though a few ovarian tumors weighing more than 300 pounds have been reported in the past, most are significantly smaller.

— jamie ducharme, Time, "A Connecticut Woman Had a 132-Pound Ovarian Tumor Removed," 4 May 2018
Sprint for Life 5K Saturday morning in the Texas Medical Center supports ovarian cancer research.

— terry st. john, Houston Chronicle, "Greater Houston athletic activities listings: May 4-6," 2 May 2018
Several studies have shown that as many as 50 percent of people with one of these mutations wouldn’t qualify for breast or ovarian cancer screening under current medical guidelines.

— anne wojcicki, STAT, "Consumers don’t need experts to interpret 23andMe genetic risk reports," 9 Apr. 2018
Culbertson and Lapointe have raised more than $98,000 for ovarian cancer research at Levine Cancer Institute, ranking third so far.

— bruce henderson, charlotteobserver, "Ruth Samuelson’s brother fights the cancer that killed her by dancing | Charlotte Observer," 25 Jan. 2018
The system comprises mouse ovarian cells (which produce the same hormones as human ovaries), along with human cells from the fallopian tube, endometrium and cervix.

— dina fine maron, Scientific American, "Menstrual Cycle “on a Chip” Offers a New Window into Female Physiology," 1 June 2017

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