ovu·late
ˈä-vyə-ˌlāt 
ˈō-
ˈō-
ovulated; ovulating; ovulates
: to release a mature ovum during ovulation : to discharge an egg cell from an ovary
… women don't necessarily have textbook cycles—they may ovulate on day 8 in a short cycle, for example, or on day 20 in a long one—so predicting fertility can be a lottery.—
Judith N. Schwartz
Judith N. SchwartzThe twins came from a single embryo, as normally results when a mare ovulates and is bred.—The Chronicle of the Horse
The Chronicle of the HorseLarge male canines usually function in inter-male competition for ovulating females …—David D. Arter
David D. ArterTo initiate embryo transfer a female animal is given a fertility drug that causes her to ovulate several eggs at one time.—Noel Vietmeyer
Noel VietmeyerA woman is born with a finite number of eggs, which gradually get ovulated or die off as she ages.—Claudia Kalb
Claudia Kalb
ovu·late
ˈä-vyə-ˌlāt
ˈō-
ˈō-
-lət
botany
: bearing an ovule (see ovule sense 1)
ovulate pine cones
Examples of ovulate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebSarah Bradley, Parents, 30 Mar. 2024
Combination pills that contain progestin and estrogen work by preventing someone from ovulating, the Mayo Clinic explains.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024
However, with the mini-pill, about half the people taking it still ovulate.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024
Doctors eventually diagnosed Murgatroyd with polycystic ovarian syndrome, a hormonal imbalance that can cause a woman not to ovulate regularly.
—Lanae Brody, PEOPLE.com, 21 June 2022
On average, their ratio of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was lower, increasing their chances of ovulating—and, therefore, of conceiving.1
These effects may be partly due to a ketogenic diet’s ability to stabilize blood sugar, a major player in the diagnosis of PCOS.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 18 Sep. 2023
This is especially true for people with irregular cycles, who might ovulate closer to their menstrual cycle's start date.
—Jennifer Barton, Parents, 3 Aug. 2023
But one female failed to ovulate, another had complications with her egg, and sperm for the third had lost much of its motility—its ability to travel into the oviduct and fertilize an egg—during shipment to the zoo, all of which made pregnancy less likely.
—Amy Mathews Amos, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2023
For example, people with 28-day cycles typically ovulate on approximately day 14 of their cycle, explains Lauren Sundheimer, M.D., MS, FACOG, an OB-GYN practicing in Santa Monica, California.
—Christin Perry, Parents, 30 June 2023
Verb
However, this can also depend on your menstrual cycle because while most people ovulate 10 to 14 days before their menses, some are irregular.
—Sarah Bradley, Parents, 30 Mar. 2024
Combination pills that contain progestin and estrogen work by preventing someone from ovulating, the Mayo Clinic explains.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024
However, with the mini-pill, about half the people taking it still ovulate.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024
Doctors eventually diagnosed Murgatroyd with polycystic ovarian syndrome, a hormonal imbalance that can cause a woman not to ovulate regularly.
—Lanae Brody, PEOPLE.com, 21 June 2022
On average, their ratio of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was lower, increasing their chances of ovulating—and, therefore, of conceiving.1
These effects may be partly due to a ketogenic diet’s ability to stabilize blood sugar, a major player in the diagnosis of PCOS.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 18 Sep. 2023
This is especially true for people with irregular cycles, who might ovulate closer to their menstrual cycle's start date.
—Jennifer Barton, Parents, 3 Aug. 2023
But one female failed to ovulate, another had complications with her egg, and sperm for the third had lost much of its motility—its ability to travel into the oviduct and fertilize an egg—during shipment to the zoo, all of which made pregnancy less likely.
—Amy Mathews Amos, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2023
For example, people with 28-day cycles typically ovulate on approximately day 14 of their cycle, explains Lauren Sundheimer, M.D., MS, FACOG, an OB-GYN practicing in Santa Monica, California.
—Christin Perry, Parents, 30 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ovulate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ovulate
Cite this Entry
“Ovulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ovulate. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ovulate
verb
ovu·late
ˈäv-yə-ˌlāt
ˈōv-
ˈōv-
ovulated; ovulating
: to produce eggs or release them from an ovary
ovulation
noun
ˌäv-yə-ˈlā-shən
ˌōv-
Medical Definition
ovulate
verb
ovu·late
ˈäv-yə-ˌlāt
also
ˈōv-
ovulated; ovulating; ovulates
: to release a mature ovum during ovulation : to discharge an egg cell from an ovary
Some women ovulate regularly but fail to conceive after more than a year of unprotected intercourse and so are considered to be subfertile.—Edward Hughes et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Edward Hughes et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic ReviewsIn this way, the dominant follicle signals its readiness to ovulate through the ability to produce large amounts of estrogen.—Diane M. Duffy et al., Endocrine Reviews
Diane M. Duffy et al., Endocrine ReviewsOlder women are more likely to ovulate eggs that are aneuploid.—Julie A. Merriman et al., Biology of Reproduction
Julie A. Merriman et al., Biology of ReproductionWhen implantation of a conceptus does not occur in ovulating women, the corpus luteum involutes, and the concentrations of circulating estrogen and progesterone decline.—Bryan D. Cowan et al., The New England Journal of Medicine
Bryan D. Cowan et al., The New England Journal of MedicineLove words? Need even more definitions?
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