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ste·roid | \ ˈster-ˌȯid 
also ˈstir- \
also ˈstir- \ plural steroids
Definition of steroid
: any of various compounds containing a 17-carbon 4-ring system and including the sterols and numerous hormones (such as anabolic steroids or corticosteroids) and glycosides
Fifty steroids have been shown to be present in the adrenal cortex. Only seven of these, however, have been shown to exert a significant biological effect related to adrenal cortical function.— John E. Hoover often, specifically : anabolic steroid an athlete taking/using steroids a steroid user Their … reporting triggered a national wake-up call about steroid use that led to congressional hearings, and, at long last, steroid testing in baseball. — Rick Reilly
on steroids
1 : taking anabolic steroids
an athlete accused of being on steroids The term [road rage] was presumably based on "roid rage," referring to sudden violent activity by people on steroids.— Michael Fumento
2 informal : greatly increased in size or power beyond what is normal or usual
With one giant claw and one smaller one, the creature looks like a fiddler crab on steroids.— Don Wilson … the inflation of a military budget that already looks as though it's on steroids.— Donald Kaul Only technology could cook it in record time. A microwave oven on steroids, that cooks eight times faster than other conventional ovens.— James Hattori et al.
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Other Words from steroid
steroid or steroidal \ stə-ˈrȯi-dᵊl \ adjective
\ adjectiveExamples of steroid in a Sentence
He was accused of taking steroids.
Recent Examples on the Web Safe as dexamethasone is, the Recovery study still administered it for 10 days, longer than a typical steroid course.
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Adam Rogers, Wired, "Dexamethasone and the Recovery Trial’s High-Speed Science," 24 June 2020 Dexamethasone, a common steroid used to treat inflammation, was found to cut deaths by up to one-third in a study of more than 6,000 severely ill patients, according to a team of researchers in England.
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Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, "When he tested positive for coronavirus, he prepared for 2 weeks of misery. Months later, he was still sick.," 21 June 2020 It’s a steroid, which represents a huge class of drugs.
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Katherine Ellen Foley, Quartz, "Dexamethasone’s supply chain is the most exciting thing about it," 18 June 2020 The steroid suppresses their activity by shutting them down close to their source in white blood cells.
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Los Angeles Times, "How dexamethasone might lead researchers to better COVID-19 treatments," 17 June 2020 British researchers found the steroid cut deaths of patients on ventilators by a third, and deaths of those on oxygen by a fifth.
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David Meyer, Fortune, "Decades of Jeff Bezos’s thoughts are collated in a new book," 17 June 2020 The widely available steroid drug dexamethasone may be key in helping to treat the sickest Covid-19 patients who require ventilation or oxygen, according to researchers in the United Kingdom.
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Ivana Kottasová, CNN, "What you need to know about coronavirus on Wednesday, June 17," 17 June 2020 Studies of steroid treatment for SARS and MERS infections found little or no benefit.
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Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, "Common Steroid Could Be Cheap and Effective Treatment for Severe COVID-19," 17 June 2020 Bay Area infectious disease experts said the low-cost steroid is often used in intensive care units for other ailments to control inflammation.
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Peter Fimrite, SFChronicle.com, "For the first time, a drug is found to reduce coronavirus death rate," 16 June 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'steroid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for steroid
steroid
noun English Language Learners Definition of steroid
: a natural substance that is produced in the body
See the full definition for steroid in the English Language Learners Dictionary
steroid
nounste·roid | \ ˈstir-ˌȯid , ˈster- \
, ˈster- \Kids Definition of steroid
: any of various chemical compounds that include many hormones (as anabolic steroids)
steroid
nounste·roid | \ ˈsti(ə)r-ˌȯid also ˈste(ə)r- \
Medical Definition of steroid
: any of numerous natural or synthetic compounds containing a 17-carbon 4-ring system and including the sterols and various hormones and glycosides — see anabolic steroid
Other Words from steroid
steroid or steroidal \ stə-ˈrȯid-ᵊl \ adjective
\ adjectiveKeep scrolling for more
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Time Traveler for steroid
The first known use of steroid was in 1926
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