ovaries

noun, plural o·va·ries.

1. Anatomy, Zoology. the female gonad or reproductive gland, in which the ova and the hormones that regulate female secondary sex characteristics develop.
2. Botany. the enlarged lower part of the pistil in angiospermous plants, enclosing the ovules or young seeds.

noun plural -ries

1. either of the two female reproductive organs, which produce ova and secrete oestrogen hormones
2. the corresponding organ in vertebrate and invertebrate animals
3. botany the hollow basal region of a carpel containing one or more ovules. In some plants the carpels are united to form a single compound ovary

n.1650s, from Modern Latin ovarium “ovary” (16c.), from Medieval Latin ovaria “the ovary of a bird” (13c.), from Latin ovum “egg,” from PIE *owyo-/*oyyo- “egg” (see egg (n.)). In classical Latin, ovarius meant “egg-keeper.” n.

1. One of the paired female reproductive organs that produce ova and certain sex hormones, including estrogen.oophoron

1. The reproductive organ in female animals that produces eggs and the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. In most vertebrate animals, the ovaries occur in pairs. In mammals, the ovaries contain numerous follicles, which house the developing eggs (oocytes). See more at menstrual cycle ovulation.
2. The part of a carpel or of a gynoecium made of fused carpels that contains the ovules in a flower. The ovary is located at the base of the carpel and ripens into a fruit after fertilization of one or more of the ovules. See more at flower.

sing. ovary The paired organs in the female reproductive system that produce ova and release certain hormones, such as estrogen.