a word a day

monstrous (mon-ES-truhs)

adjective Of or related to mammals that experience one estrus (rut or period of heat) in a breeding season.

Combining form mon- (one) from Greek monos, mono- + oistros

(gadfly, madness).

“The ova vaccine, Miller says, is a better choice for monstrous species, like coyotes, that come into heat only once a year, regardless of whether the female conceives.”

—Discover