hymen

1 of 2

noun (1)

hy·​men ˈhī-mən How to pronounce hymen (audio)
: a fold of mucous membrane partly closing the orifice of the vagina
hymenal adjective

Hymen

2 of 2

noun (2)

: the Greek god of marriage

Examples of hymen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Notwithstanding the distance into the uterus, the path is blocked by the hymen. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2012 Tough question — the hymen befuddles evolutionary biologists to this day. Adam Hadhazy, Discover Magazine, 23 Oct. 2014 As well as the myths propagated around the hymen, tightness too has been associated with virginity since time immemorial. Sophia Smith Galer, refinery29.com, 13 Apr. 2022 And Bonus says that report suggests that Sharon was still a virgin—the doctor wrote that her hymen was intact. CBS News, 21 May 2022

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Late Latin, from Greek hymēn membrane

Noun (2)

Latin, from Greek Hymēn

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1538, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1567, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hymen was in 1538

Dictionary Entries Near hymen

Cite this Entry

“Hymen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hymen. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hymen

noun
hy·​men ˈhī-mən How to pronounce hymen (audio)
: a fold of mucous membrane partly closing the opening of the vagina
hymenal adjective

Medical Definition

hymen

noun
hy·​men ˈhī-mən How to pronounce hymen (audio)
: a fold of mucous membrane partly or wholly closing the orifice of the vagina
hymenal adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on hymen

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!