Estrogen

A type of hormone made by the body that helps develop and maintain female sex characteristics and the growth of long bones.

(ES-truh-jin) A type of hormone made by the body that helps develop and maintain female sex characteristics and the growth of long bones. Estrogens can also be made in the laboratory. They may be used as a type of birth control and to treat symptoms of menopause, menstrual disorders, osteoporosis, and other conditions.

(es'troh jin) the major female hormone that causes the breasts to develop in young girls and causes development of the uterus. The hormone also can stimulate the growth of breast cancer tissue.

See: oestrogen.