ovulatory
|ov-u-la-to-ry|
🇺🇸
/əˈvʌlətɔːri/
🇬🇧
/ɒˈvʌlət(ə)ri/
relating to ovulation (egg release)
Etymology
'ovulatory' originates from Latin, specifically the root 'ovum' meaning 'egg', combined with the verb-forming and adjective-forming elements that produced English 'ovulate' and then 'ovulatory'.
'ovulatory' developed from English 'ovulate' (mid 19th century), which itself comes from Latin 'ovulatus' (past participle related to 'ovulare') and ultimately from Classical Latin 'ovum' meaning 'egg'.
Initially connected to Latin words simply meaning 'egg' or 'related to eggs'; over time the English derivatives came to refer specifically to the physiological process of releasing an egg (ovulation) and things relating to or causing that process.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or characteristic of ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary).
The patient showed an ovulatory pattern in her hormone levels.
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Adjective 2
causing or promoting ovulation (used in medical contexts).
Doctors prescribed an ovulatory drug to induce egg release.
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Last updated: 2025/09/28 18:06