testosterone

noun

tes·​tos·​ter·​one te-ˈstä-stə-ˌrōn 

1

: a hormone that is a hydroxy steroid ketone C₁₉H₂₈O₂ produced especially by the testes or made synthetically and that is responsible for inducing and maintaining male secondary sex characters

2

: qualities (such as brawn and aggressiveness) usually associated with males : manliness

Examples of testosterone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Hormones High levels of estrogen or testosterone may play a role in the worsening of rosacea symptoms. —Leslie Baumann, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2024

Neither is currently seeking a surgical intervention, and neither wants access to testosterone. —Ann Marimow, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024

Females squeezed between two males typically experience the most exposure to testosterone and are most likely to exhibit hormonal and behavioral differences throughout their lives. —Jon Hamilton, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024

Her testosterone levels were low, and her estrogen was well within the target range. —Casey Parks, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024

This supplement is designed to enhance men's natural testosterone levels and promote muscle growth. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024

Some doctors are prescribing testosterone to treat these symptoms of menopause, though the FDA has not approved a product for this use, in large part because there isn’t a lot of supporting research data yet. —Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2024

These drugs prevent testosterone from turning into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone linked to prostate cancer at higher levels.5 Is There Medication to Prevent Breast Cancer? —Anisa Arsenault, Verywell Health, 22 Mar. 2024

Rugged, utilitarian and fueled in part by testosterone, the 2024 Defender 130 Outbound is equipped with a 3-liter, six-cylinder gas engine with 395 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic transmission. —James Raia, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Testosteron, from Latin testēs testes + German -o- -o- + -steron -sterone

Note: The name was introduced by the Hungarian pharmacologists Karoly Gyula David (1905-45) and János Freud (1901-48), the Dutch endocrinologist Elisabeth Dingemanse (1886-1952), and the German-born Dutch physician and pharmacologist Ernst Laqueur (1880-1947) (all affiliated with the Pharmaco-Therapeutic Laboratory of the University of Amsterdam) in "Über krystallinisches männliches Hormon aus Hoden (Testosteron), wirksamer als aus Harn oder aus Cholesterin bereitetes Androsteron," Zeitschrift für physiologische Chemie, Band 233 (1935), pp. 281-83.

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

testosterone

noun

tes·​tos·​ter·​one te-ˈstäs-tə-ˌrōn 

: a male hormone produced by the testes that causes the development of the male reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics

Medical Definition

testosterone

noun

tes·​tos·​ter·​one te-ˈstäs-tə-ˌrōn 

: a male hormone that is a crystalline hydroxy steroid ketone C₁₉H₂₈O₂ produced primarily by the testes or made synthetically and that is the main androgen responsible for inducing and maintaining male secondary sex characteristics see androgel, axiron