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ethinyl estradiol
noun
: a very potent synthetic estrogen C20H24O2 used especially as an oral contraceptive
Examples of ethinyl estradiol in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The combination of norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol has been available since 1968 as a contraceptive.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 30 July 2024
Taytulla, also called ethinyl estradiol, gained Food and Drug Administration approval in 2013.
—Austen Hufford, WSJ, 29 May 2018
Tyler’s experiments looked at one type of synthetic estrogen: ethinyl estradiol, or EE2, which is found in oral contraceptives like TriNessa and Seasonique.
—Becky Little, Smithsonian, 31 July 2017
One environmental estrogen is ethinyl estradiol—a chemical found in birth control pills.
—National Geographic, 3 Feb. 2016
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Word History
First Known Use
1938, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of ethinyl estradiol was
in 1938
Dictionary Entries Near ethinyl estradiol
Cite this Entry
“Ethinyl estradiol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethinyl%20estradiol. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Medical Definition
ethinyl estradiol
noun
variants
or ethynylestradiol
or chiefly British ethinyloestradiol
or ethynyloestradiol
: a white crystalline very potent synthetic estrogen C20H24O2 prepared from estrone and used in combination (as with norgestrel or norethindrone) as a birth control pill or alone in the treatment of menopausal symptoms or female hypogonadism or in the palliative treatment of prostate or breast cancer see loestrin, minastrin, nuvaring, ortho evra, ortho-novum, ortho tri-cyclen, seasonale, seasonique, yasmin, yaz
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