estradiol
|es-tra-di-ol|
/ˌɛstrəˈdaɪəl/
estrogen steroid with two hydroxyl groups
Etymology
'estradiol' originates from modern scientific coinage combining 'oestrogen' (New Latin/Greek root) and the chemical suffix '-diol' (from 'di-' + '-ol'), where 'oestro-' comes from Greek 'oistros' meaning 'gadfly' or 'frenzy' (used figuratively for sexual stimulation) and 'di-' meant 'two' while '-ol' indicated an alcohol (hydroxyl) group.
'oistros' (Greek) gave rise to New Latin 'oestrogen' (literally 'producer of estrus' in coining), and in early 20th-century biochemical nomenclature the specific compound was named 'estradiol' to denote an estrogenic steroid with two hydroxyl groups (di- + -ol).
Initially the 'oestro-' element related broadly to sexual excitement or inducing estrus; over time the term narrowed to denote specific estrogenic substances, and 'estradiol' came to mean the particular steroid hormone 17β-estradiol used in medicine and research.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a naturally occurring steroid hormone of the estrogen group (chemical name 17β-estradiol) that plays a central role in the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sexual characteristics.
Doctors measured the patient's estradiol levels to assess ovarian function.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a pharmaceutical or laboratory form of estradiol used in hormone replacement therapy, contraceptives, or research (including synthetic or esterified derivatives).
The clinic prescribed estradiol patches for menopausal symptom relief.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/11 10:48