oxytocin
/ɑksiˈtoʊsɪn/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.83 in modern English
20
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A hormone that stimulates contractions during labor, and then the production of milk; also plays a role in social bonding.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Some women describe episodes of intense pleasure akin to orgasm during nursing. It would be interesting to know whether the release of oxytocin during suckling plays a role in this subjective feeling, as it may do in actual orgasm."
- "MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy, greatly increases feelings of empathy (and perhaps the actual capacity to perceive the emotions of others); one of the mechanisms (oxytocin release) is now becoming understood, […]"
- "When human beings bond—by hugging, kissing, touching, having sex, eating together, giving massages, or even when singing together or speaking reassuring words—oxytocin brings us “in from the cold,” warming us—quite literally—as it redirects blood flow into hands, feet, chests and cheeks."
Etymology
From oxytocic, from Ancient Greek ὀξύς (oxús, “swift”) + τόκος (tókos, “childbirth”, from τίκτω (tíktō, “I give birth”)).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: -
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɑksiˈtoʊsɪn/