pheromone

noun

pher·​o·​mone ˈfer-ə-ˌmōn How to pronounce pheromone (audio)
: a chemical substance that is usually produced by an animal and serves especially as a stimulus to other individuals of the same species for one or more behavioral responses
pheromonal adjective

Examples of pheromone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Storebought pheromone traps can serve as early warning systems to detect squash vine borers. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2024 Sign up But whether these early ants used pheromones to communicate has remained unclear. science.org, 3 July 2024 Hill says studies that have looked at pheromones in relation to humans have had contradictory findings. Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 5 Aug. 2024 Everyone got to smell the comb, which takes on the waffle smell because of pheromones. Jason Nark, Hartford Courant, 2 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pheromone 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pheromone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek phérein "to carry" + -o- + -mone (in hormone) — more at bear entry 2

Note: Name introduced by the German biochemist Peter Karlson (1918-2001) and the Swiss entomologist Martin Lüscher (1917-79) in "'Pheromones': a New Term for a Class of Biologically Active Substances," Nature, vol. 183, no. 4653 (January 3, 1959), pp. 55-56: "We propose, therefore, the designation 'pheromone' for this group of active substances. The name is derived from the Greek pherein, to transfer; hormōn, to excite. Pheromones are defined as substances which are secreted to the outside by an individual and received by a second individual of the same species, in which they release a specific reaction, for example, a definite behaviour or a developmental process."

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pheromone was in 1959

Dictionary Entries Near pheromone

Cite this Entry

“Pheromone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pheromone. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

pheromone

noun
pher·​o·​mone ˈfer-ə-ˌmōn How to pronounce pheromone (audio)
: a chemical substance (as a scent) that is produced by an animal and serves as a signal to other individuals of the same species to engage in some kind of behavior (as mating)

Medical Definition

pheromone

noun
pher·​o·​mone ˈfer-ə-ˌmōn How to pronounce pheromone (audio)
: a chemical substance that is produced by an animal and serves especially as a stimulus to other individuals of the same species for one or more behavioral responses

called also ectohormone

More from Merriam-Webster on pheromone

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