human chorionic gonadotropin

noun

: a glycoprotein hormone similar in structure to luteinizing hormone that is secreted by the placenta during early pregnancy to maintain corpus luteum function and is commonly tested for as an indicator of pregnancy

Examples of human chorionic gonadotropin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Those little pee sticks look for the presence of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), which the body produces during pregnancy. —Korin Miller, SELF, 31 Mar. 2025

The Best Time to Take a Pregnancy Test At-home pregnancy tests work by detecting levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. —Christin Perry, Parents, 28 Jan. 2025

The only way to know for sure was to test my level of human chorionic gonadotropin, better known as hCG, a hormone that doubles every 72 hours in early pregnancy. —Megan Turchi, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Jan. 2023

The mini-placentas also produced hormones that typical placentas make such as human chorionic gonadotropin, the hormone many over-the-counter pregnancy tests measure, Moffett and colleagues report today in the journal Nature. —Roni Dengler, Discover Magazine, 29 Nov. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1939, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for human chorionic gonadotropin

• corticotropin
• somatotropin
• thyrotropin

Medical Definition

human chorionic gonadotropin

noun

: a glycoprotein hormone similar in structure to luteinizing hormone that is secreted by the placenta during early pregnancy to maintain corpus luteum function and stimulate placental progesterone production, is found in the urine and blood serum of pregnant women, is commonly tested for as an indicator of pregnancy, is used medically to induce ovulation and to treat male hypogonadism and cryptorchidism, and is produced in certain cancers (as of the testes)

—abbreviation HCG