Meanings
plural anestri · alternative anoestrus · alternative anœstrus
- countableuncountablebiologyIn female placental mammals—excluding humans and great apes—a phase of the estrous cycle during which the sexual cycle rests.
During anestrus the size range and numbers of ovarian antral follicles were similar to those seen during the breeding season.
2008, Sabine Meinecke-Tillmann, Burkhard Meinecke, “Chapter 14: Ultrasonography in Small Ruminant Reproduction”, in Heide Schatten, Gheorghe M. Constantinescu, editors, Comparative Reproductive Biology, Blackwell Publishing, page 3522 more examples
1993, R. E. Larsen, S. C. Denham, J. F. Boucher, E. L. Adams, Chapter 13: Breeding Season Length Versus Calving Percentage in Beef Cattle Herds, Michael J. Fields, Robert S. Sand (editors), Factors Affecting Calf Crop, CRC Press, page 191, Duration of postpartum anestrus is the period from calving to the first estrus. This anestrus period is recognized as being a major factor in controlling the proportion of cows conceiving each breeding season (Wiltbank et al., 1961).
2011, Carole C. Miller, Carla L. Carleton (consulting editor), Anestrus, Jean-Pierre Lavoie, Kenneth William Hinchcliff (editors), Blackwell's Five-Minute Veterinary Consult: Equine, 2nd Edition, Wiley, page 75, Treating a mare with progesterone while she is in anestrus/early vernal transition will suppress ovarian activity.
Synonyms: anaestrum, anœstrum, anestrum, anestrous phase
Synonyms & antonyms
nounIn female placental mammals—excluding humans and great apes—a phase of the estrous cycle during which the sexual cycle rests.
More synonyms by meaning
nounapplies to nonhuman mammals: a state or interval of sexual inactivity between two periods of estrus
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*né
- Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
- Proto-Hellenic*ə-
- Ancient Greekᾰ̓- (ă-)
- Ancient Greekἀν- (an-)
- Englishan-
- Englishestrus
- Englishanestrus
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 不动情期
- 不动情期 (búdòngqíngqī)period of pause during the sexual cycle
French anœstrus
- anœstrusperiod of pause during the sexual cycle
German Anöstrus
- Anöstrusperiod of pause during the sexual cycle
Italian anestro
- anestroperiod of pause during the sexual cycle
Portuguese anestro
- anestroperiod of pause during the sexual cycle
Russian анэ́струс
- анэ́струс (anɛ́strus)period of pause during the sexual cycle
Spanish anestro
- anestroperiod of pause during the sexual cycle
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
anestrus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anestrus
“anestrus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anestrus. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anestrus,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anestrus.
Source: anestrus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.