testosterone

From test(is) +‎ -o- +‎ -sterone (“steroid hormone”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /tɛˈstɒ.stə.ɹəʊn/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /tɛˈstɑ.stəˌɹoʊn/

testosterone (countable and uncountable, plural testosterones)

1. (biochemistry, steroids) A steroid hormone that stimulates development of male secondary sexual characteristics, produced mainly in the testes, but also in the ovaries and adrenal cortex.
   • 2019, Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Black Swan (2020), page 168:

     Mammalian testes contain almost no testosterone because it is sent out into the body as quickly as it is made.

2. (figuratively) Manly behavior, often of an aggressive or foolishly reckless nature.

   Mother encouraged James to rely more on intelligence and less on testosterone to deal with the neighbor's son.

   • 2023, Louise Casey, Baroness Casey of Blackstock, “9.2.5”, in Baroness Casey Review Final Report: An independent review into the standards of behaviour and internal culture of the Metropolitan Police Service‎, page 268:

     The MPS is a male orientated and misogynistic environment filled with testosterone, notches on bed posts and conquests.

• “testosterone”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “testosterone”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

testosterone m (plural testosteroni)

1. (biochemistry, steroids) testosterone