relaxin

1 9.8

A hormone produced late in pregnancy that softens pelvic ligaments and helps the womb open for birth

noun
/rɪˈlæksɪn/

Specialized

: relaxina

But, see, you're not gonna believe how relaxin' that shit really is, all right?
relaxin hormone

Examples

And this here's the divan, for socialisin' and relaxin' with the family unit.

Raising Arizona (1987)
Specifically, the anterior cruciate ligament has receptor sites for estrogen, progesterone, and relaxin, hormones that fluctuate in relation to the menses.

Academic text (2002)
"Take time with families, start relaxin'

Black and White (1999)
Glass of wine, a little guitar... just relaxin'.

The Rock (1996)
He's got a real relaxin' time compared to us.

The Shooting (1966)
I'm relaxin, I'm relaxin

Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (1988)
I'm relaxin, I'm relaxin

Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (1988)
The pregnancy hormone relaxin, for instance, allows your ligaments and joints to get looser to allow for delivery.

Blog text (12)
"Relaxin' with child," Nicole wrote on the social media site with a subcutaneous Lorenzo nestled inside her womb.

Blog text (22)
During late pregnancy, the hormone relaxin helps prepare the uterus for labor by relaxing the pelvic ligaments.

Surface Forms

relaxin singular

relaxins plural

Morphology

relaxin = relax (semi-transparent) = relax + in

Formed from 'relax' + the protein-forming suffix '-in'; the relation to 'relax' is clear but the term is a specialised biochemical name.

Etymology

The word relaxin comes from relax ('to make less tight') plus the ending -in, which names many body chemicals. So, relaxin is a hormone made in pregnancy that 'relaxes' the ligaments in the pelvis to help prepare the body for birth.