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Veterinary Medicine vocabulary · Reproduction and Birth

Oestrus

Meaning in veterinary medicine, with examples

/ˈiːstrəs/nounCommon term

In veterinary medicine, oestrus means: The part of the reproductive cycle when a female animal is fertile and will accept mating, commonly called heat or, in dogs and cats, season. US spelling: estrus.

In Turkish: kızgınlık, östrus

How it is used

Farmers and vets talk about heat detection, cows bulling or on heat, and oestrus synchronisation before AI. Dog owners say she is in season or on heat. The adjective is oestrous (the oestrous cycle).

Example sentences

  1. Cows that are not pregnant come into oestrus about every 21 days.

  2. Signs of oestrus in this cow were missed, so she wasn't served.

Common collocations

  • oestrus cycle
  • signs of oestrus
  • oestrus detection
  • oestrus synchronisation
  • in oestrus
  • artificial inseminationPlacing semen collected from a male into a female's reproductive tract with instruments, instead of natural mating, to make her pregnant.
  • pregnantCarrying one or more developing young in the uterus. Farm vets often use species phrases instead, such as in calf, in lamb or in foal.
  • spayTo remove a female animal's ovaries, and usually her uterus too, by surgery so that she cannot become pregnant or come into heat.
  • breedA group of animals within one species that share a recognisable appearance and traits passed down through controlled mating, such as the Labrador or the Holstein.

More terms: Reproduction and Birth

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.