That portion or phase of the sexual cycle of female animals characterized by willingness to permit coitus; readily detectable behavioral and other signs are exhibited by animals during this period. SYN: heat (3). [G. oistros, mad desire]
- postpartum e. e. with ovulation and corpus luteum production that occurs in some animals ( e.g., the fur seal) immediately following the birth of the young.
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1 a) a regularly recurrent state of sexual excitability during which the female of most mammals will accept the male and is capable of conceiving: HEAT
b) a single occurrence of this state
2) ESTROUS CYCLE
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es·trus (esґtrəs) [L. oestrus gadfly; Gr. oistros anything that drives mad, any vehement desire] the recurrent, restricted period of sexual receptivity in female mammals other than human females, marked by intense sexual urge. See also estrous cycle, under cycle. Called also estruation, estrum, heat, and rut. Also spelled oestrus. estrous, estrual adjMedical dictionary. 2011.