GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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1.       
   ‖oestrus (?), n. [L., a gadfly; also, frenzy, fr. Gr.  gadfly; hence, sting, fury, insane desire, frenzy.]
   1. (Zool.) A genus of gadflies. The species which deposits its larvae in the nasal cavities of sheep is oestrus ovis.
   
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   2. A vehement desire.
   
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   3. Specifically: (Physiol.) The periodical sexual impulse of animals; the period during which female animals are most receptive to males; heat; rut.
   
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