trimester
noun
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Semester, which comes from the Latin words for "six" and "month", has come to mean half an academic year when the year is divided into two segments. When an academic year is divided into three segments, each is called a trimester (which is usually a bit more accurate, since each segment often is close to three months in length). Some colleges operate on the "quarter" system, with the summer being the fourth quarter, but this just means that each quarter is basically a trimester. In a human pregnancy, a trimester is three months long, representing one-third of the nine months that a typical pregnancy lasts.
Examples of trimester in a Sentence
Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
Some healthcare providers may advise avoiding all drugs—whether OTC or prescription—during the first trimester.
—Amanda Gardner, Health, 30 Mar. 2024
The first trimester is the time for cleaning up your financial act, says Jean Chatzky, financial editor of NBC Today.
—Becky Batcha and Hiranmayi Srinivasan, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024
While the disorder can be screened for while a woman is in her first trimester of pregnancy, the standard protocol set forth by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls for the test only after a woman experiences two consecutive early pregnancy losses.
—Alex Ross, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is some evidence that genetics can play a role, and some environmental factors, such as smoking during pregnancy or taking certain medications, can increase the chances of a cleft forming, which happens in the first trimester.
—Megan Rose, ProPublica, 6 Mar. 2024
Covid vaccines are safe at any point in pregnancy, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn’t specify an ideal trimester.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 25 Jan. 2024
The company recommends sizing up when buying during the third trimester.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 27 Mar. 2024
Before giving birth to Kevin, Williams experienced multiple miscarriages, including two that occurred in the second trimester.
—Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 24 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trimester.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Trimester.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trimester. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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trimester
noun
ˈtrī-ˌ
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