noun. a hormone generated in the hypothalamus and dispersed by the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland in reaction to direct neural excitement. It arouses smooth muscle, especially within the mammary glands while lactating and in the wall of the uterus while in labor.
OXYTOCIN: “Oxytocin, sometimes referred to as Pitocin, is the most widely used oxytocic for the purpose of inducing labor.”