ovulation

noun

ovu·​la·​tion ˌä vyə-ˈlā-shən  ˌō- 

: the discharge of a mature ovum from the ovary

Doctors have found that a few days before ovulation, as many as 30 to 50 egg follicles have begun to mature. Normally, only one will fully ripen … and the rest are lost.

—Mary Duenwald

In principle, ovulation takes place midway through a 28-day … cycle.

—Judith N. Schwartz

Examples of ovulation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Typically, only a single egg is released during each ovulation cycle, sometimes multiple eggs are released. —Pamela Prindle Fierro, Parents, 1 July 2024

The best ovulation tests are affordable, simple to use, and easy to interpret. —Rachael Schultz, Health, 9 July 2024

It was also found to impact different levels of reproductive hormones tied to ovulation. —Elisa Cinelli, Parents, 8 July 2024

In perimenopause, ovulation doesn’t occur regularly and often people can go for a number of months between their menstrual cycles. —Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 28 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

ovule or its source, Medieval Latin ōvulum + -ation

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

ovulation

noun

ovu·​la·​tion ˌäv-yə-ˈlā-shən 

also

ˌōv- 

: the discharge of a mature ovum from the ovary

The persistent high level of estrogen induces an abrupt release of luteinizing hormone from the pituitary gland, and this hormonal surge then triggers ovulation.

—Hsiu-Wei Su et al., Bioengineering & Translational Medicine