prolactin

P3R1O1L1A1C3T1I1N1
US/pɹoʊˈlæktɪn/

noun

A peptide gonadotrophic hormone secreted by the pituitary gland; it stimulates growth of the mammary glands and lactation in females.

Similar
lactotropinluteotropic hormoneluteotropinmammotropinlactogenic hormone
OriginAncient Greek πρό ← Latin lac →
Less commonScrabble 13
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Meanings

nounprolactin (usually uncountable, plural prolactins)

plural prolactins

  1. uncountableusuallybiochemistryA peptide gonadotrophic hormone secreted by the pituitary gland; it stimulates growth of the mammary glands and lactation in females.

    Men get a dose of the hormone prolactin after orgasm and this acts as a sedative.

    2019, Sara Pascoe, Sex Power Money

    Synonyms: lactotropin, luteotropic hormone, luteotropin, mammotropin

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA peptide gonadotrophic hormone secreted by the pituitary gland; it stimulates growth of the mammary glands and lactation in females.

Similar
lactotropinluteotropic hormoneluteotropinmammotropin

More synonyms by meaning

noungonadotropic hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary; in females it stimulates growth of the mammary glands and lactation after parturition

Similar
lactogenic hormoneluteotropin
Broader
lactogengonadotropingonadotrophingonadotropic hormone
Also see
luteotropin

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinlac“milk”
  2. Ancient Greekπρό“before”
  3. Englishprolactin

From pro- (from Ancient Greek πρό (pró, “before”)) + lact- (variation of lacto-, from Latin lac (“milk”)) + -in (modification of -ine).

More words from Ancient Greek, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Basque prolaktina
  • prolaktinahormone
Chinese Mandarin 催乳素
  • 催乳素 (cuīrǔsù)hormone
Czech prolaktin
  • prolaktinhormone
Finnish prolaktiini
  • prolaktiinihormone
French prolactine
  • prolactinehormone
German Prolaktin
  • Prolaktinhormone
Hungarian prolaktin
  • prolaktinhormone
Indonesian laktogen
  • laktogenhormone
Irish prólachtain
  • prólachtainhormone
Italian prolattina
  • prolattinahormone
Japanese プロラクチン
  • プロラクチン (purorakuchin)hormone
Māori taiaki waiū
  • taiaki waiūhormone
Portuguese prolactina
  • prolactinahormone
Romanian prolactină
  • prolactinăhormone
Russian пролакти́н
  • пролакти́н (prolaktín)hormone
Spanish prolactina
  • prolactinahormone
Swedish prolaktin
  • prolaktinhormone
Cite this entry
APA

prolactin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prolactin

MLA

“prolactin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prolactin. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “prolactin,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prolactin.

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