pheromone
pheromone — noun
- pheromonesingular
- pheromonesplural
1. a natural chemical made inside the body of a living creature and given off into
a natural chemical made inside the body of a living creature and given off into the surrounding air or water; it makes other creatures of the same kind react in a certain way — for example, drawing a partner close, showing a food route, or signalling that danger is near
The female moth releases a pheromone that attracts males from more than a kilometre away.
release + pheromone; attracts [males / mates]
A threatened honeybee gives off an alarm pheromone that tells the other bees to attack.
alarm pheromone; compound noun modifier
Worker ants leave a pheromone trail so other ants can follow it to food.
Samir's dog sniffed lamp-posts to pick up pheromones left by other dogs.
Some skin products claim to contain human pheromones that make the user more attractive.
- chemical signal
a broader, less technical term that can refer to any chemical used for communication, not limited to animals
文法句型
pheromone + noun (pheromone trail, pheromone signal)
release + a pheromone / pheromones
用法筆記
Pheromone is a countable noun when referring to a specific type or instance (e.g., 'the sex pheromone of the silkworm moth'). In general or abstract discussion it may appear uncountable (e.g., 'insects communicate by pheromone').