VIRILIZE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does virilize mean? 

• VIRILIZE (verb)
  The verb VIRILIZE has 1 sense:

1. produce virilism in or cause to assume masculine characteristics, as through a hormonal imbalance or hormone therapy

  Familiarity information: VIRILIZE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• VIRILIZE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they virilize    ... he / she / it virilizes   
Past simple: virilized   
Past participle: virilized   
-ing form: virilizing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Produce virilism in or cause to assume masculine characteristics, as through a hormonal imbalance or hormone therapy

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

masculinise; masculinize; virilise; virilize

Context example:

the drugs masculinized the teenage girl

Hypernyms (to "virilize" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Verb group:

masculinize (give a masculine appearance or character to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

virilization (the abnormal development of male sexual characteristics in a female (usually as the result of hormone therapies or adrenal malfunction))

 Context examples 

There are several types including simple virilizing forms (adrenogenital syndrome), salt-wasting forms, and virilizing hypertension forms depending on the enzyme of defects.

(Congenital Adrenal Gland Hyperplasia, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Dromostanolone inhibits the growth of estrogen receptor-presenting breast cancers; its virilizing effects limit its clinical usefulness.

(Dromostanolone, NCI Thesaurus)