lochia

L1O1C3H4I1A1
UK/ˈlɒ.kɪ.ə/US/ˈloʊ.ki.ə/

noun

Normal post-partum vaginal discharge; blood, mucus, and placental tissue that are discharged from a female's vagina (similar to menstruation) for several weeks after she has given birth.

Scrabble 11

Meanings

nounlochia pl (plural only)
  1. pluralplural onlyNormal post-partum vaginal discharge; blood, mucus, and placental tissue that are discharged from a female's vagina (similar to menstruation) for several weeks after she has given birth.

    1927, The Indian Veterinary Journal, published by the Indian Veterinary Association In one Magra ewe which gave birth to twins, lochia continued for 8 days …

    5 more examples

    In April 1819, I attended a young married lady in her first pregnancy, in whose case the lochia began to diminish on the seventh day after parturition, [...]

    1822, Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal

    Variations in the quantity, quality, or odour of the lochia not unnaturally excite great alarm in the mind of the patient, who regards any deviation in this secretion as a proof of serious disease. Yet very remarkable differences do occur, without any morbid affection of the uterus or vagina.

    1866, Fleetwood Churchill, On the theory and practice of midwifery

    In three or four days the distinctly bloody character of the lochia is altered. They have a reddish watery appearance, and are known as the lochia rubra or cruenta [...]

    1884, William Smoult Playfair, A Treatise on the Science and Practice of Midwifery, volume II (fifth edition), part III, chapter IX

    1921, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, published by the American Gynecological Society On the fifth day the coryza, cough and rash were all improved, but the patient was irrational; the lochia were thin, watery and odorless; …

    1924: The Canadian nurse, published by the Canadian Nurses' Association Check lochia and change sterile pad. If the patient's pulse is under 90, the fundus is firm and the lochia is normal, the patient may be left at the end ...

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekλοχεία
  2. Latinlochia
  3. Englishlochia

Learned borrowing from Latin lochia, from Ancient Greek λοχεία (lokheía), neuter plural of λοχείος (lokheíos, “of childbirth”), from λόχος (lókhos, “childbirth”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 惡露 /恶露
  • 惡露 /恶露 (èlù)post-partum vaginal discharge
Czech lochie, očistky
  • lochiepost-partum vaginal discharge
  • očistkypost-partum vaginal discharge
Dutch kraamvloed, lochia
  • kraamvloedpost-partum vaginal discharge
  • lochiapost-partum vaginal discharge
French lochies
  • lochiespost-partum vaginal discharge
German Wochenfluss, Lochien
  • Wochenflusspost-partum vaginal discharge
  • Lochienpost-partum vaginal discharge
Indonesian nifas, lokia
  • nifaspost-partum vaginal discharge
  • lokiapost-partum vaginal discharge
Japanese 悪露
  • 悪露 (oro)post-partum vaginal discharge
Latvian lochia
  • lochiapost-partum vaginal discharge
Lithuanian lochijos
  • lochijospost-partum vaginal discharge
Portuguese lóquios
  • lóquiospost-partum vaginal discharge
Spanish loquios
  • loquiospost-partum vaginal discharge

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

lochia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lochia

MLA

“lochia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lochia. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lochia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lochia.

Source: lochia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.