'ovulation-promoting' originates from Modern English as a compound of 'ovulation' + 'promoting' (the present participle of 'promote').

'ovulation' comes from New Latin 'ovulatio' (19th century medical Latin) ultimately from Latin 'ovulum' meaning 'little egg'; 'promote' comes from Latin 'promovere' ('pro-' forward + 'movere' to move) via Old French/Anglo-Norman into Middle English, with 'promoting' as the present participle form. The compound form arose in modern medical English to describe agents or actions that encourage ovulation.

Originally 'ovulum' referred to a 'little egg' and 'promovere' meant 'to move forward'; in modern usage 'ovulation' denotes the physiological release of an egg, and 'promote' shifted toward 'encourage' or 'stimulate', so the compound now means 'encouraging the physiological release of an egg'.