testosterone

noun

tes·​tos·​ter·​one te-ˈstä-stə-ˌrōn How to pronounce testosterone (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Inside his room were some THC edibles and a vial of testosterone. Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025 What had long been the province of geriatrics quickly morphed into something performative and hyper-masculine, with podcasters hyping testosterone injections, influencers displaying stacks of supplements, and billionaires interested in blood plasma exchanges as a way to live longer. Anne Marie Chaker, Time, 20 Sep. 2025 Several months after those tests, her manager told her in a phone call that she would not be allowed to compete in the 800m category, citing high testosterone levels found in her blood. Amy Woodyatt, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025 Hormonal Disruption and Long-Term Impact Heavy drinking can also lead to shifts in hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol. Laura Schober, Health, 18 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for testosterone

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of testosterone was in 1935

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Cite this Entry

“Testosterone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/testosterone. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

testosterone

noun
tes·​tos·​ter·​one te-ˈstäs-tə-ˌrōn How to pronounce testosterone (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce testosterone (audio)
: 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

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