ovary

noun

ova·​ry ˈō-və-rē 

ˈōv-rē

plural ovaries

1

: one of the typically paired essential female reproductive organs that produce eggs and in vertebrates female sex hormones

2

: the enlarged rounded usually basal portion of the pistil or gynoecium of an angiospermous plant that bears the ovules and consists of one or more carpels see flower illustration

Examples of ovary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Barksdale’s new doctor recommended a total hysterectomy, the removal of her ovaries and lymph node biopsies based on her previous imaging records and pathology reports, according to the lawsuit. — Doha Madani, NBC news, 4 Aug. 2026

When a flower matures, the ovary of the flower matures into a fruit, and that fruit encloses the seeds. — Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 30 July 2026

Queens in honeybee colonies and other eusocial insects use pheromones to keep worker daughters from developing ovaries. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026

Only the stigma, the structure in the center of the flower that collects pollen to send down to the ovary in the base of the flower to form seeds, may remain. — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 21 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin ovarium, from Latin ovum egg

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ovary

• polycystic ovary syndrome

Kids Definition

ovary

noun

ova·​ry ˈōv-(ə-)rē 

plural ovaries

1

: one of the usually paired organs in the body of female animals that produces eggs and that in female vertebrates also produces sex hormones

2

: the enlarged rounded lower part of the pistil of a flower in which seeds are formed

Medical Definition

ovary

noun

ova·​ry ˈōv-(ə-)rē 

plural ovaries

1

: one of the typically paired essential female reproductive organs that in vertebrates produce eggs and female sex hormones, that occur in the adult human as oval-shaped flattened bodies about one-and-a-half inches (four centimeters) long suspended from the dorsal surface of the broad ligament of either side, that arise from the mesonephros, and that consist of a vascular fibrous stroma enclosing developing egg cells

2

: the female reproductive structure of an angiosperm that bears ovules and is enclosed in a flower