oxytocin

noun

oxy·​to·​cin ˌäk-si-ˈtō-sᵊn How to pronounce oxytocin (audio)
: a pituitary octapeptide hormone C43H66N12O12S2 that stimulates especially the contraction of uterine muscle and the secretion of milk

Examples of oxytocin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The body releases oxytocin and prolactin after orgasm. —Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 7 Oct. 2024 Thank the oxytocin for that spike in physical attraction. —Serena Coady, Glamour, 19 Sep. 2024 The oxytocin released during orgasm literally makes people happier. —Lexi Petronis, Glamour, 10 Oct. 2024 The study Michael enrolled in tested whether adding the social-bonding hormone oxytocin could improve outcomes. —Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for oxytocin 

Word History

Etymology

oxytoc(ic) + -in entry 1

Note: According to Science News Letter, vol. 12, no. 341 (October 22, 1927), p. 259, the name was given after pituitary extracts were "obtained in purified form from a single gland by Dr. Oliver Kamm and associates working in the research laboratories of Parke Davis and Company at Detroit."

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oxytocin was in 1928

Dictionary Entries Near oxytocin

oxytocic

oxytocin

oxytone

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Oxytocin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oxytocin. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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Medical Definition

oxytocin

noun
oxy·​to·​cin -ˈtōs-ᵊn How to pronounce oxytocin (audio)
1
: an octapeptide hormone C43H66N12O12S2 secreted by the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland that stimulates especially the contraction of uterine muscle and the secretion of milk

called also alpha-hypophamine

2
: a synthetic version of oxytocin used especially to initiate or increase uterine contractions (as in the induction of labor) see pitocin

More from Merriam-Webster on oxytocin

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oxytocin

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