corticotropin releasing factor: Meaning and Definition of

corticotro'pin releas'ing fac"tor

Pronunciation: [key]
— Biochem. Biochem.
  1. a hormonelike factor, produced by the hypothalamus, that stimulates the increased release of corticotropin by the pituitary gland in response to stress. Abbr.: CRF
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.