cortisone

C3O1R1T1I1S1O1N1E1
UK/ˈkɔː.tɪ.zəʊn/US/ˈkɔɹ.tɪˌsoʊn/

noun

A corticosteroid hormone, closely related to corticosterone, produced by the adrenal cortex. One of the glucocorticoids, it is also made synthetically for use as an anti-inflammatory and antiallergy agent. 17-hydroxy-11-dehydrocorticosterone, with formula C₂₁H₂₈O₅.

Similar
Cortone Acetate
OriginEnglish corticosterone ← German Keton ← French cholestéro →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

nouncortisone (countable and uncountable, plural cortisones)

plural cortisones

  1. countableuncountablesteroidsbiochemistryA corticosteroid hormone, closely related to corticosterone, produced by the adrenal cortex. One of the glucocorticoids, it is also made synthetically for use as an anti-inflammatory and antiallergy agent. 17-hydroxy-11-dehydrocorticosterone, with formula C₂₁H₂₈O₅.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna corticosteroid hormone (trade name Cortone Acetate) normally produced by the adrenal cortex; is converted to hydrocortisone

Similar
Cortone Acetate
Broader
corticosteroidcorticoidadrenal cortical steroidketosteroid

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)ker-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*(s)kert-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*(s)kort-ek-s
  4. Latincortex
  5. Englishcortico-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰelh₃-
  7. Proto-Hellenic*kʰolā́
  8. Ancient Greekχολή (kholḗ)
  9. Proto-Indo-European*ster-
  10. Ancient Greekστερεός (stereós)
  11. Frenchcholestérine
  12. Frenchcholestéro
  13. Englishcholesterol
  14. Englishsterol
  15. GermanKeton
  16. Englishketone
  17. Englishcorticosterone
  18. Englishcortisone

Shortening of corticosterone.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic كُورْتِيزُون
  • كُورْتِيزُون (kurtizūn)corticosteroid hormone
Catalan cortisona
  • cortisonacorticosteroid hormone
Chinese Mandarin 可的松, 考的松
  • 可的松 (kědìsōng)corticosteroid hormone
  • 考的松 (kǎodìsōng)corticosteroid hormone
Czech kortizon
  • kortizoncorticosteroid hormone
Finnish kortisoni
  • kortisonicorticosteroid hormone
French cortisone
  • cortisonecorticosteroid hormone
German Cortison, Kortison
  • Cortisoncorticosteroid hormone
  • Kortisoncorticosteroid hormone
Italian cortisone
  • cortisonecorticosteroid hormone
Japanese コルチゾン
  • コルチゾン (koruchizon)corticosteroid hormone
Portuguese cortisona
  • cortisonacorticosteroid hormone
Russian кортизо́н
  • кортизо́н (kortizón)corticosteroid hormone
Spanish cortisona
  • cortisonacorticosteroid hormone

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

osteocrin
Cite this entry
APA

cortisone. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cortisone

MLA

“cortisone.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cortisone. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cortisone,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cortisone.

Source: cortisone on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.