diethylstilbestrol
Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word diethylstilbestrol. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word diethylstilbestrol, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say diethylstilbestrol in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word diethylstilbestrol you have here. The definition of the word diethylstilbestrol will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofdiethylstilbestrol, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chemical structure of diethylstilbestrol
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From diethyl + stilb(ene) + -estr- (“estrogen”) + -ol.
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /daɪˌɛθ.əl.stɪlˈbɛˌstɹɔl/
Noun
diethylstilbestrol (countable and uncountable, plural diethylstilbestrols) (abbreviated DES)
- (organic chemistry, pharmacology) A synthetic estrogen drug C18H20O2 used formerly to prevent miscarriage or premature delivery in humans and to promote growth in livestock. The medical use of diethystilbestrol was discontinued in the U.S. during the early 1970s due to its association with serious side effects (such as reproductive tract abnormalities and increased rates of infertility) in offspring exposed to the drug while developing in the uterus. It is no longer commercially available in the U.S. and its use is currently limited to specially compounded formulations for veterinary care.
- Synonym: stilbestrol
- 2010, Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Emperor of All Maladies, Fourth Estate (2011), page 277:
- In 1971, yet another such study identified an even more unusual carcinogen, a synthetic hormonal medicine called diethylstilbestrol.
Translations
References
- “diethylstilbestrol”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.