Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A steroid hormone, C21H30O2, that is secreted by the corpus luteum of the ovary and by the placenta and that acts to prepare the uterus for implantation of the fertilized ovum and to maintain pregnancy.
  • noun A drug prepared from natural or synthetic progesterone, used in the prevention of miscarriage, in the treatment of menstrual disorders, and as a constituent of some oral contraceptives.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun biochemistry, uncountable A steroid hormone, secreted by the ovaries, whose function is to prepare the uterus for the implantation of a fertilized ovum and to maintain pregnancy.
  • noun biochemistry, countable A synthetic version of the compound, used in contraceptive pills and other pharmaceutical products.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a steroid hormone (trade name Lipo-Lutin) produced in the ovary; prepares and maintains the uterus for pregnancy

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[pro– + gest(ation) + (st)er(ol) + –one.]

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