Definition

1. Noun:
   • The monthly discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the uterus through the vagina: This is a natural biological process in females of reproductive age, indicating the shedding of the uterine lining when pregnancy does not occur. It is part of the menstrual cycle.
   • The period or time during which this discharge occurs: The word can also refer to the event or the duration itself.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • Menstruation typically begins during puberty.
  • Many cultures have specific practices or taboos associated with menstruation.
  • Cramps and fatigue are common symptoms during menstruation.

Advanced Usage

• "To experience menstruation": To undergo the menstrual process.
  • Most women of childbearing age experience menstruation monthly.
• "The onset of menstruation": The beginning of a person's first menstrual cycle (menarche).
  • The average age for the onset of menstruation is around 12 or 13.
• "To be in menstruation": A formal phrase meaning to be in the period of menstrual bleeding.
  • The patient reported being in menstruation at the time of the exam.

Variants and Related Words

• Menstrual (adj): Relating to menstruation.
  • Menstrual cycle, menstrual pain.
• Menses (n): A formal or clinical term for menstruation or the menstrual flow.
  • Her menses were irregular.
• Catamenia (n): An archaic or highly technical term for menstruation.
• Period (n): A common informal synonym for menstruation.
  • She's on her period.

Synonyms

• Period: The most common informal synonym.
• Monthly cycle: A descriptive phrase.
• Flow: A casual term for the menstrual discharge.

Related Phrases and Collocations

• Menstrual blood: The blood discharged during menstruation.
• Menstrual hygiene: Practices for managing menstrual bleeding.
• To miss a menstruation: To not experience an expected menstrual period, often an early sign of pregnancy.
  • She missed her menstruation and took a pregnancy test.

Notes on Meaning

• The term specifically refers to the process or event of the monthly discharge. It is a biological function and a key indicator of reproductive health.
• It is distinct from the entire menstrual cycle, which encompasses the hormonal changes over approximately a month, with menstruation being one phase.
• The word is neutral and clinical; common everyday synonyms are "period" or "monthly."

Noun

1. the monthly discharge of blood from the uterus of nonpregnant women from puberty to menopause
   • the women were sickly and subject to excessive menstruation
   • a woman does not take the gout unless her menses be stopped--Hippocrates
   • the semen begins to appear in males and to be emitted at the same time of life that the catamenia begin to flow in females--Aristotle