hormone

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ὁρμή (hormḗ, “rapid motion forwards, onrush, onset, assault, impulse to do a thing, effort”), whence ὁρμάω (hormáō), ὁρμῶ (hormô, “to set in motion, to urge on, to cheer on, to make a start, to hasten on”).

noun

1. (physiology) Any substance produced by one tissue and conveyed by the bloodstream to another to effect physiological activity.
   Hormones are the bicycle couriers of the body, delivering chemical messages all around the teeming metropolis that is you. 2019, Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Black Swan (2020), page 165
2. (pharmacology) A synthetic compound with the same activity.
   1. (LGBT, colloquial, usually in the plural) Sex hormones, as used in hormone replacement therapy for transgender or intersex people.
      I'm going to be going to slightly higher doses of hormones soon.
3. (botany) Any similar substance in plants.

verb

1. (transitive, colloquial) To treat with hormones.