hormone
n. countablen. a chemical messenger in your body that travels through the blood to tell your organs what to do. These chemicals control things like how you grow, your mood, and how you use energy.
n. a regulatory substance produced in an organism and transported in tissue fluids such as blood or sap to stimulate specific cells or tissues into action.
Insulin is a hormone that helps control your blood sugar levels.
During puberty, the body produces a surge of hormones that trigger significant physical and emotional changes.
The endocrine system relies on a delicate balance of hormones to maintain homeostasis, as even a minor fluctuation in secretion can lead to systemic physiological disruptions.
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ὁρμῶν (hormôn), present participle of ὁρμάω (hormáō, “to set in motion, to urge on”), from ὁρμή (hormḗ, “rapid motion forwards, onrush, onset, assault, impulse to do a thing, effort”).
Commonly used in the plural when discussing general mood or physical development.