plural ovaries
1
: one of the typically paired essential female reproductive organs that produce eggs and in vertebrates female sex hormones
2
: the enlarged rounded usually basal portion of the pistil or gynoecium of an angiospermous plant that bears the ovules and consists of one or more carpels see flower illustration
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Except in situations where menopause is induced by surgery (for example, removal of ovaries) or specific medical conditions, this period is generally preceded by a stage called perimenopause, when women may have irregular periods and start experiencing menopause symptoms.
—
Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
Ovarian cancer risk Some data show links between cancer of the ovaries and a specific type of talc exposure: the use of baby powder in intimate areas for personal hygiene.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 23 July 2025
The home country of this dark and enduring masterpiece from 1985 is the eerily-retrograde Republic of Gilead, in which women who once held jobs and led independent lives are now strictly controlled and monitored, valued only for their ovaries and their obedience.
—Dan Fesperman
july 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
Baylis, at Dalhousie University, and others worry about risks that may not yet be apparent, to the babies themselves, the women having the babies and the women donating the eggs, such as a dangerous hyperstimulation of their ovaries.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 16 July 2025
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Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
Ovarian cancer risk Some data show links between cancer of the ovaries and a specific type of talc exposure: the use of baby powder in intimate areas for personal hygiene.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 23 July 2025
The home country of this dark and enduring masterpiece from 1985 is the eerily-retrograde Republic of Gilead, in which women who once held jobs and led independent lives are now strictly controlled and monitored, valued only for their ovaries and their obedience.
—Dan Fesperman
july 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
Baylis, at Dalhousie University, and others worry about risks that may not yet be apparent, to the babies themselves, the women having the babies and the women donating the eggs, such as a dangerous hyperstimulation of their ovaries.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ovary
Cite this Entry
“Ovary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ovary. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ovary
noun
ova·ry
ˈōv-(ə-)rē 
plural ovaries
1
: one of the usually paired organs in the body of female animals that produces eggs and that in female vertebrates also produces sex hormones
2
: the enlarged rounded lower part of the pistil of a flower in which seeds are formed
Medical Definition
ovary
noun
ova·ry
ˈōv-(ə-)rē
plural ovaries
1
: one of the typically paired essential female reproductive organs that produce eggs and in vertebrates female sex hormones, that occur in the adult human as oval flattened bodies about one and a half inches (four centimeters) long suspended from the dorsal surface of the broad ligament of either side, that arise from the mesonephros, and that consist of a vascular fibrous stroma enclosing developing egg cells
2
: the female reproductive structure of an angiosperm that bears ovules and is enclosed in a flower
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