menstruation

[ men-stroo-ey-shuhn, -strey- ]
See synonyms for menstruation on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the periodic discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the uterus, occurring approximately monthly from puberty to menopause in nonpregnant women and females of other primate species.

  2. the period of menstruating.

Origin of menstruation

1
First recorded in 1770–80; menstruate + -ion

Words Nearby menstruation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use menstruation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for menstruation

menstruation

/ (ˌmɛnstrʊˈeɪʃən) /


noun
  1. the approximately monthly discharge of blood and cellular debris from the uterus by nonpregnant women from puberty to the menopause: Also called: menses Nontechnical name: period

Derived forms of menstruation

  • menstruous (ˈmɛnstrʊəs), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for menstruation

menstruation

[ mĕn′strōō-āshən ]


  1. The monthly flow of blood from the uterus beginning at puberty in girls and other female primates. Also called menses See also menstrual cycle.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for menstruation

menstruation

[ (men-strooh-ay-shuhn) ]


The periodic discharge of the blood-enriched lining of the uterus through the vagina. Menstruation marks the end of one menstrual cycle and the beginning of another.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.