menstruation

noun

men·​stru·​a·​tion ˌmen(t)-strü-ˈwā-shən How to pronounce menstruation (audio)
men-ˈstrā-
: a cyclical discharging of blood, secretions, and tissue debris from the uterus that recurs in nonpregnant breeding-age primate females at approximately monthly intervals and that is considered to represent a readjustment of the uterus to the nonpregnant state following proliferative changes accompanying the preceding ovulation

Example Sentences

a first menstruation can be somewhat scary for girls who are unprepared
Recent Examples on the Web After Margaret came Deenie, Flubber and Forever, among others, which addressed then-taboo subjects like menstruation and masturbation. Kate Tuttle, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2023 Taboos are being shattered—particularly around topics like menstruation, menopause, and women’s bodies. WIRED, 29 Mar. 2023 While the bill doesn’t explicitly mention menstruation, an early version sought to limit health education before sixth grade. Rachel Janfaza, Glamour, 28 Mar. 2023 One of its most noteworthy new features includes temperature tracking, which can help accurately track your menstruation cycle. Samantha Jones, Good Housekeeping, 23 Mar. 2023 That Republicans in Florida choose to shroud this reality and to force young people into silence says very little about any inherent shame in menstruation or living in a female body. Jill Filipovic, CNN, 21 Mar. 2023 The association’s board has an emergency meeting Thursday to vote on whether to adopt the four-page form — which would remove questions that force student-athletes to share details about their menstruation cycles in order to be participate in sports. Mike Schneider, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2023 Co-founder Miki Agrawal was lauded for tackling menstruation, often a taboo subject, in public. Suryatapa Bhattacharya, WSJ, 24 Jan. 2023 Reports of precocious menstruation and conception date back to at least the mid-sixteenth century: the most famous case was that of a Swiss child named Anne Mummethaler (or Mummenthaler), born in 1751, who began menstruating at the age of two and gave birth to a stillborn at the age of eight. Madeleine Watts, Harper’s Magazine , 25 May 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'menstruation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of menstruation was in 1686

Dictionary Entries Near menstruation

Cite this Entry

“Menstruation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/menstruation. Accessed 30 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

menstruation

noun
men·​stru·​a·​tion ˌmen(t)-strə-ˈwā-shən How to pronounce menstruation (audio)
men-ˈstrā-shən
: a discharging of blood, secretions, and tissue debris from the uterus at periods of approximately one month in female primates of breeding age that are not pregnant

Medical Definition

menstruation

noun
men·​stru·​a·​tion ˌmen(t)-strə-ˈwā-shən, men-ˈstrā- How to pronounce menstruation (audio)
: a discharging of blood, secretions, and tissue debris from the uterus that recurs in nonpregnant human and other primate females of breeding age at approximately monthly intervals and that is considered to represent a readjustment of the uterus to the nonpregnant state following proliferative changes accompanying the preceding ovulation

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