Definition of "hormone" []

• A substance, usually a peptide or steroid, produced by one tissue and conveyed by the bloodstream to another to effect physiological activity, such as growth or metabolism. (noun)
• A synthetic compound that acts like a hormone in the body. (noun)
• Any of various similar substances found in plants and insects that regulate development. (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.

• "Doctors previously used the term hormone-replacement therapy (HRT), which carried the connotation that menopausal women were missing something essential."
• "We believe students need a break from what I call "hormone display behavior" which can be exhausting for adolescents."
• "However, Jobs took a six-month leave of absence in early 2009 for what he called a "hormone imbalance.""