cortisol
noun
cor·ti·sol
| \ ˈkȯr-tə-ˌsȯl
, -ˌzȯl, -ˌsōl, -ˌzōl\
, -ˌzȯl, -ˌsōl, -ˌzōl\
Definition of cortisol
: a glucocorticoid C21H30O5 produced by the adrenal cortex upon stimulation by ACTH that mediates various metabolic processes (such as gluconeogenesis), has anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties, and whose levels in the blood may become elevated in response to physical or psychological stress
— called also hydrocortisone
Examples of cortisol in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When something stressful occurs, like an unexpectedly long security line or three-hour delay, your body responds by producing more cortisol, which can trigger oil production. — Deanna Pai, Condé Nast Traveler, "6 Spot Treatments to Save Your Skin from Breaking Out While Traveling," 5 Aug. 2019 Consistently logging eight hours of sleep a night can help boost low testosterone levels and have a positive impact on cortisol, leptin and insulin levels. — Christy Brissette, Washington Post, "What are ‘hormone diets’ — and can they really help you lose weight quickly?," 5 Aug. 2019 The study analyzed the stress hormone cortisol, which circulates in the blood and leaves its mark in strands of hair. — Fox News, "Dogs mirror stress levels of their owners, study suggests," 7 June 2019 Put simply, genital stimulation—orgasm or no orgasm—lowers the bad (the stress hormone cortisol) and heightens the good (endorphins) triggering that rush and release feeling. — Haley Swanson, Glamour, "6 Benefits of Female Masturbation That Will Convince You to Do it More," 30 May 2019 People who self-reported early-life adversity actually had lower heart rates and cortisol levels than other participants. — Bridget Alex, Discover Magazine, "What Science Says About Why You're Stressed and How to Cope," 21 June 2019 As of today, her thermogram results are normal, her blood and urine tests are benign, and her hormones, cortisol levels, kidney and liver functions, metabolism and other results are all looking good. — Kat Bein, Billboard, "Hannah Wants Talks New Music & Overcoming Health Battle: 'It Turned My Life Upside Down'," 20 June 2019 Impact on dogs The results showed a significant correlation between human and dog cortisol levels across the year. — Bronwyn Orr, Quartz, "Your stress is hurting your dog, according to a new study," 9 June 2019 For dog-human partners that trained together for agility competitions, the match in cortisol levels was even more accurate. — Maddie Burakoff, Smithsonian, "Keep Calm and Don’t Stress Out the Dog," 7 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cortisol.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for cortisol
cortisol
noun
cor·ti·sol
| \ ˈkȯrt-ə-ˌsȯl, -ˌzȯl, -ˌsōl, -ˌzōl
\
\
Medical Definition of cortisol
: a glucocorticoid C21H30O5 produced by the adrenal cortex upon stimulation by ACTH that mediates various metabolic processes (as gluconeogenesis), has anti-inflammatory and immunosupressive properties, and whose levels in the blood may become elevated in response to physical or psychological stress
— called also hydrocortisone