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climacteric


2climacteric

noun

Definition of CLIMACTERIC

1
: a major turning point or critical stage
2
a : menopause b : a period in the life of a male corresponding to female menopause and usually occurring with less well-defined physiological and psychological changes
3
: the marked and sudden rise in the respiratory rate of fruit just prior to full ripening

Examples of CLIMACTERIC

  1. <historians attempting to pinpoint the Roman Empire's climacteric, that precise moment when it began its long downhill slide>

First Known Use of CLIMACTERIC

circa 1630

Other Physiology Terms

eructation, flux, gustatory, menarche, myopia, senescence, torpor

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