Definition of "cortisol" [cortisol]

• See hydrocortisone. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Chronic stress raises the blood level of a hormone called cortisol, which is made by your adrenal glands."
• "When under stress, the body releases a hormone called cortisol which is produced in greater quantities after consuming caffeine."
• "So instead of having a momentary peak in cortisol, you have a permanent elevation of it."