hormone

IPA/ˈhɔːməʊn/
KK[hˈɔrmˌon]IPA/ˈhɔːrməʊn/

hormone — noun

  • hormonesingular
  • hormonesplural

1. a natural chemical that your body releases into the bloodstream so it can travel

1.nounB2
Definition

a natural chemical that your body releases into the bloodstream so it can travel to organs and tissues and give them instructions — for example, telling cells to control your growth, appetite, or emotional state

Example

Nala's doctor explained that her sudden weight gain might be caused by a hormone imbalance.

collocation: hormone imbalance / hormone levels

During pregnancy, the placenta releases several hormones that prepare the body for birth.

Common collocations
  • hormone levels
  • hormone imbalance
  • growth hormone
  • sex hormones
  • stress hormones
  • hormone therapy
  • produce a hormone
  • release a hormone
  • block a hormone
  • hormone replacement
Synonyms
  • chemical messenger

    less technical, often used in educational materials to explain the function of hormones

  • endocrine secretion

    more technical and specific; used mainly in medical or biological writing

Grammar Patterns

hormone + noun (e.g. hormone therapy)

adjective + hormone (e.g. growth hormone)

Usage Note

Often used before other nouns to describe treatments or conditions involving hormones: 'hormone therapy', 'hormone replacement', 'hormone levels'.

Common Mistakes

I need to check my hormone.
I need to check my hormone levels.
'Hormone' is countable but in general references it usually pairs with a specific qualifier such as 'level', 'imbalance', or 'production'.
She has a hormone problem with her thyroid.
She has a hormone imbalance caused by her thyroid condition.
When speaking medically, pair 'hormone' with a precise term like 'imbalance' or 'deficiency' rather than the vague phrase 'hormone problem'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'hormone' is the standard term in both everyday and scientific English, 'chemical messenger' is a more accessible paraphrase often used in school textbooks and health articles to describe how hormones carry instructions between cells without requiring technical vocabulary. 'Endocrine secretion' is a narrower, formal term that refers specifically to hormones released by endocrine glands into the bloodstream — it would never appear in casual conversation. 'Hormonal signal' overlaps with 'hormone' but emphasises the communication event rather than the substance itself; you might read about 'hormonal signals during puberty' but not about 'taking hormonal signals as medication'. For everyday use, 'hormone' is the right choice; for teaching or explaining, 'chemical messenger' works well; for advanced biology, 'endocrine secretion' is appropriate.

chemical messengerendocrine secretionhormonal signal

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • hormone replacement therapy
  • growth hormone levels
  • sex hormone production

Etymology

GreekEnglish

The word 'hormone' was coined in 1905 by British physiologist Ernest Starling, who took it from the Greek word 'hormon' (ὁρμῶν), meaning 'urging on' or 'setting in motion'. The Greek source is the verb 'hormaein' (ὁρμάειν), which means 'to stir up, urge on, or set in motion' — a fitting origin for a substance that activates processes throughout the body.