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Glite Dictionary
to virilize

to virilize

9.9
To make women grow facial hair or have a deeper voice by hormone treatment
  • verb
  • /ˈvɪrɪlaɪz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : virilizar
  • The doctor explained how certain medications can virilize women undergoing therapy.

Examples

  • Hormonal treatments can virilize patients by promoting male physical traits.

  • In the study, researchers aimed to virilize rats to observe changes in behavior.

  • They were virilizing them.

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Synonyms

to masculinize
vsto virilize
  • Specialized
1 9.1

To make a person, animal, or body part develop male features, often by hormones

emphasizes development caused especially by hormones rather than listing affected entities

How Masculinizing

to virilize
  • Specialized
9.9
to masculinize
  • Specialized
1 9.1

Surface Forms

virilize infinitive
virilized past
virilized past participle
virilizing present participle
virilizes third person singular

Morphology

virilize = virile (transparent) = viril + ize

The verb is a regular derivation 'virile' + '-ize' meaning 'to make or become virile', so its meaning follows directly from the base adjective.

Etymology

Virilize comes from the Latin root vir meaning 'man', which you can see in the English word virile. So to virilize someone is to 'make manly' — to cause male physical traits like a deeper voice or facial hair, often by hormones.