Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A gadfly; a breeze.
- noun A vehement urging; a stimulus; an incitement.
- noun [capitalized] The typical genus of Œstridæ.
- noun The climax or height of the period of sexual desire in female mammals. This is preceded by the procestrum and followed by the metœstrum.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Zoöl.) A genus of gadflies. The species which deposits its larvæ in the nasal cavities of sheep is
œstrus ovis . - noun A vehement desire.
- noun (Physiol.) The periodical sexual impulse of animals; the period during which female animals are most receptive to males; heat; rut.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A biting
fly of the genusOestrus ; abotfly . - noun A
bite orsting . - noun archaic A
passion orfrenzy . - noun A female animal's readiness to
mate ;heat ,rut .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun applies to nonhuman mammals: a state or period of heightened sexual arousal and activity
- noun type genus of the Oestridae: sheep botflies
- noun applies to nonhuman mammals: a state or period of heightened sexual arousal and activity
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Naftolin, A, et al. Neuronal membrane remodeling during the oestrus cycle: a freeze-freacture study in the arcuate nucleus of the rat hypothalemus.
T.S. Wiley: Estrogen Dilemma: There Is No Dilemma When You Know the Details T.S. Wiley 2010
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What does it matter if adults can only see a pair of bifurcated mobile phones, with Mandeville's eye-catching groin definition creepily hinting at of mascottian oestrus or, possibly, a urinary tract infection?
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I didn't even know that dogs menstruated, or estrated -- make that "underwent estrus" (or is it oestrus?).
French Word-A-Day: 2007
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I didn't even know that dogs menstruated, or estrated -- make that "underwent estrus" (or is it oestrus?).
French Word-A-Day: 2007
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I didn't even know that dogs menstruated, or estrated -- make that "underwent estrus" (or is it oestrus?).
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Guilt's malignancy stalks a gas-lit shadow-dance upon the walls, perversity arouses oestrus in the embers of our trance; magic moments muted in taut breath are crushed in weighted consequence, discretion flees the night to heighten senses steeped in self-pity, drowned in self-indulgence.
Archive 2008-07-01 Ivan Donn Carswell 2008
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The theory of human oestrus remains controversial because its effects are subtle; human females show none of the distinct genital swellings seen in other female mammals “in heat”.
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He says the changes in the female voice during peak fertility support the view that women are “different” at that point in the menstrual cycle – in other words, that they experience oestrus.
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I didn't even know that dogs menstruated, or estrated--make that "underwent estrus" or is it oestrus?
French Word-A-Day: 2007
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I didn't even know that dogs menstruated, or estrated--make that "underwent estrus" or is it oestrus?
yarb commented on the word oestrus
"In some ways, it appears, the balladist wasn't a bad guy ... aside from an uncontrollable oestrus he turned out to have for neighbourhood-grocers' wives, and one or two low incidents in consequence, Mike had no trouble with him whatever..."
- W.M. Spackman, Heyday
December 22, 2011
Louises commented on the word oestrus
The oestrus of night comes down over him like a hood. By James Slater in "A Sport and a Past Time".
February 14, 2013
bilby commented on the word oestrus
The bot-fly of the sheep of night, now found all over the world, comes down over him like a hood. By James Slater in "A Baa Past Your Bedtime."
February 14, 2013