Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A short polypeptide hormone, C43H66N12O12S2, released from the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland, that stimulates the contraction of smooth muscle of the uterus during labor and facilitates ejection of milk from the breast during nursing.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun biochemistry A
hormone thatstimulates contractions duringlabour /labor , and then theproduction ofmilk .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary gland (trade name Pitocin); stimulates contractions of the uterus and ejection of milk
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Well, the reality is, there is a hormone called oxytocin, that is released in both men and women ...
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The gene creates a docking station for a hormone called oxytocin, which is involved in all sorts of emotions and social behaviours, from trust to sexual arousal to empathy.
Discover Blogs 2010
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Research suggests oxytocin is released when a woman feels safe and secure, when lights are dim, when there are few disturbances and there is quiet and privacy — not exactly the conditions in most hospitals.
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The giving away of trust stimulates the release of a bonding hormone called oxytocin in humans, according to research by the Cognitive Neuroscience Group at the Center for Psychiatry & Psychotherapy at Justus-Liebig University in Germany.
Dov Seidman: Trust Me, It's Time to Fill the Certainty Gap 2009
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Scientists believe that oxytocin is connected to stress reduction, enhanced sociability, and, possibly, falling in love.
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One of the things that happens with women is that we tend to attach to our sex partner through a hormone called oxytocin, which turns out to be the exact same hormone that we give off when we ` re nursing our babies.
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The researchers say that the spray harnesses the powers of a feel-good hormone called oxytocin, a neurotransmitter in the brain that is involved in social recognition and bonding.
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- "The researchers say that the spray harnesses the powers of a feel-good hormone called oxytocin, a neurotransmitter in the brain that is involved in social recognition and bonding."
Speedlinking 7/18/07 William Harryman 2007
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It's a scientific fact that when a woman makes love to a man, a hormone called oxytocin is released in her brain that makes her bond to the guy like Krazy Glue.
The Lake House Patterson, James, 1947- 2003
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The final stage of attachment is what Fisher believes to be the bond that keeps couples together long enough for them to have and raise children; identifying one incredibly strong hormone known as oxytocin or what she calls the "cuddle hormone," which is released during sex and produces a sense of intimacy.
Queen's Journal: Latest stories Contributor Kiran Rana 2010
bilby commented on the word oxytocin
"Without oxytocin people would be far less inclined to seek social interaction, let alone fall in love and mate for life (or, as scientists call it, 'pair bond'). The brain releases gobs of it during orgasm, mothers are awash in it during breastfeeding and, in clinical trials, a spritz of oxytocin has been shown to reduce anxiety, increase feelings of generosity and even ease the symptoms of shyness. Conversely, researchers are beginning to discover that low levels of the hormone — or the body's faulty response to it — may contribute to severe social dysfunctions like depression and autism."
- M. Stephey, 'Can Oxytocin Ease Shyness?', time.com, 21 July 2008.
July 22, 2008