n.
A synthetic nonsteroidal substance, C18H20O2, having estrogenic properties and used in the treatment of prostatic cancer. It was once used to treat menstrual disorders and to prevent miscarriage but is no longer prescribed for these cases because of the occurrence of reproductive abnormalities and cancers in the offspring of women so treated.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
