Meanings
nounmenstruation (countable and uncountable, plural menstruations)
plural menstruations · alternative menstration
- countableuncountableThe periodic discharging of the menses, the flow of blood and cells from the lining of the uterus in unfertilized females of humans and other primates.
It would seem that in Avebury, Stonehenge, and Malta the mystery cult of menstruation/mensuration reached its most consummate development.
1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 2671 more example
[T]he release of semen from the penis predominantly symbolizes a forceful masculine operation, an orgasmic ‘rush’ – ejaculate refers to a sudden happening, an ejection – while the ‘loss’ of blood during menstruation is viewed as a more or less passive occurrence. Even the metaphors employed to depict these two aspects of corporeality serve to situate them on differently gendered poles. Man ‘spoofs off’ or ‘shoots his load’, while woman ‘gets her visitor’, ‘has got her monthly’.
2002, Annie Potts, “Innerspace”, in The Science/Fiction of Sex: Feminist Deconstruction and the Vocabulares of Heterosex, Hove, East Sussex; New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, part 2 (The Vocabularies of Heterosex), page 180
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
Aunt FloAunt FriedaAunt Roseblobblood sportsBloody Maryblowjob weekbreaching the beaver damcatameniacaught shortCharlieclosed for maintenancecome crookcountry cousincrimson tidecrimson wavecursecurse of Evecurse of Tomdropping clotsentertaining the generalfallen to the Communistsfall off the roofflowersflashing the red flagflying bakerflying the red flagfriendgrandma Georgegrannygranny gruntshave the painters inhave one's moonshave the rag onhigh tideholy weekillnessin the red tentJennielady problemslady timelittle sistermenstrual periodmenstruation periodMonicamonthliesmonthly billmonthly friendmonthly periodmonthly visitormooncup timemoontimemother natureoff gamesold faithfulonon a streakOTBon the blobon the clothon the ragout of orderpaddling in scarlet watersperiodpoorlinessraggingred-headed auntred-letter dayred sails in the sunsetriding the cotton ponyriding the red riverRita Red Pantsshark weeksoso-sosquiffysurfing the crimson tidesurfing the crimson wavesurrendering to the red armythe captain is homethe cardinal is homethe flag is outthe flag is upthe Reds are playing at hometime for an oil changetime of the monthTomTommyup on blockswoman's week
nounthe monthly discharge of blood from the uterus of nonpregnant women from puberty to menopause
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
- Proto-Indo-European*dwi-
- Proto-Italic*dwi-
- Latinbi-
- Proto-Indo-European*med-
- Proto-Indo-European*meh₁-?
- Proto-Indo-European*mḗh₁n̥s
- Proto-Italic*mēns
- Proto-Italic*mēnsis
- Latinmēnsis
- Latinbimēnstrisbf.
- Latinannuusinflu.
- Latinmēnstruus
- Latinmēnstruum
- Englishmenstruum
- Late Latinmenstruatioinflu.
- Englishmenstruation
From menstruum + -ation, modelled after Late Latin menstruatio. The word is a cognate with French menstruation, Spanish menstruación, which displaced Old English mōnaþblōd (literally “monthblood”).
More words from Late Latin, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀφεδρεία
- ἀφεδρεία (aphedreía)periodic discharging of the menses
Arabic حَيْض, طَمْث
- حَيْض (ḥayḍ)periodic discharging of the menses
- طَمْث (ṭamṯ)periodic discharging of the menses
- الدورة الشهرية (ad-dawra aš-šahriyya)periodic discharging of the menses
Bengali রজঃস্রাব, স্ত্রীধর্ম
- রজঃস্রাব (rojoḥsrab)periodic discharging of the menses
- স্ত্রীধর্ম (stridhormo)periodic discharging of the menses
- স্ত্রীরজ (striroj)periodic discharging of the menses
- কুসুম (kuśum)periodic discharging of the menses
Bulgarian менструа́ция
- менструа́ция (menstruácija)periodic discharging of the menses
Catalan menstruació
- menstruacióperiodic discharging of the menses
Chinese Mandarin 月經 /月经, 經血 /经血
- 月經 /月经 (yuèjīng)periodic discharging of the menses
- 經血 /经血 (jīngxuè)periodic discharging of the menses
- 經期 /经期 (jīngqī)periodic discharging of the menses
- 每个月那几天instance or period of menstruation
Czech menstruace
- menstruaceperiodic discharging of the menses
Danish menstruation, tid på måneden
- menstruationperiodic discharging of the menses
- tid på månedeninstance or period of menstruation
Dutch menstruatie, ongesteldheid
- menstruatieperiodic discharging of the menses
- ongesteldheidperiodic discharging of the menses
Esperanto menstruo
- menstruoperiodic discharging of the menses
Estonian menstruatsioon
- menstruatsioonperiodic discharging of the menses
Finnish kuukautiskierto, kuukautiset
- kuukautiskiertoperiodic discharging of the menses
- kuukautisetperiodic discharging of the menses
- menkatperiodic discharging of the menses
- se aika kuustainstance or period of menstruation
French menstruation, règles
- menstruationperiodic discharging of the menses
- règlesperiodic discharging of the menses
German Periode, Menstruation
- Periodeperiodic discharging of the menses
- Menstruationperiodic discharging of the menses
- Regelperiodic discharging of the menses
- Monatsregelperiodic discharging of the menses
- Monatsblutungperiodic discharging of the menses
- Regelblutungperiodic discharging of the menses
- Tage (as in ihre Tage haben)periodic discharging of the menses
- Mensesperiodic discharging of the menses
Greek εμμηνόρροια, περίοδος
- εμμηνόρροια (emminórroia)periodic discharging of the menses
- περίοδος (períodos)periodic discharging of the menses
Hebrew וֶסֶת
- וֶסֶת (veset)periodic discharging of the menses
Hindi रजोधर्म, ऋतुस्राव
- रजोधर्म (rajodharm)periodic discharging of the menses
- ऋतुस्राव (ŕtusrāv)periodic discharging of the menses
- ऋतु (ŕtu)periodic discharging of the menses
- रजोस्राव (rajosrāv)periodic discharging of the menses
- स्त्रीधर्म (strīdharm)periodic discharging of the menses
- स्त्रीरज (strīraj)periodic discharging of the menses
- कुसुम (kusum)periodic discharging of the menses
- रजोदर्शन (rajodarśan)periodic discharging of the menses
- रज (raj)periodic discharging of the menses
- रजस्त्राव (rajastrāv)periodic discharging of the menses
- मासिक धर्म (māsik dharm)periodic discharging of the menses
- ऋत्व (ŕtva)periodic discharging of the menses
Hungarian menstruáció
- menstruációperiodic discharging of the menses
Icelandic blæðingar, tíðir
- blæðingarperiodic discharging of the menses
- tíðirperiodic discharging of the menses
Indonesian menstruasi, haid
- menstruasiperiodic discharging of the menses
- haidperiodic discharging of the menses
- datang bulanperiodic discharging of the menses
- datang bulaninstance or period of menstruation
Irish fuil mhíosta, míostrú
- fuil mhíostaperiodic discharging of the menses
- míostrúperiodic discharging of the menses
Italian mestruazione, ciclo
- mestruazioneperiodic discharging of the menses
- cicloperiodic discharging of the menses
Japanese 月経, 月事
- 月経 (gekkei)periodic discharging of the menses
- 月事 (getsuji)periodic discharging of the menses
- 生理 (seiri)periodic discharging of the menses
Korean 월경, 생리
- 월경 (wolgyeong)periodic discharging of the menses
- 생리 (saengni)periodic discharging of the menses
- 그날 (geunal)periodic discharging of the menses
Latin menstrua
- menstruaperiodic discharging of the menses
Latvian menstruācija
- menstruācijaperiodic discharging of the menses
Lithuanian mėnesinių ciklas, menstruacija
- mėnesinių ciklasperiodic discharging of the menses
- menstruacijaperiodic discharging of the menses
Malay haid
- haidperiodic discharging of the menses
Māori mate wahine, mate marama
- mate wahineperiodic discharging of the menses
- mate maramaperiodic discharging of the menses
- waiwheroperiodic discharging of the menses
Norwegian menstruasjon
- menstruasjonperiodic discharging of the menses
Persian عادت ماهانه, قاعدگی
- عادت ماهانه ('âdat-e mâhâne)periodic discharging of the menses
- قاعدگی (qâ'edegi)periodic discharging of the menses
- پریود (period)periodic discharging of the menses
- حیض (heyz)periodic discharging of the menses
- دشتان (daštân)periodic discharging of the menses
Polish miesiączka, menstruacja
- miesiączkaperiodic discharging of the menses
- menstruacjaperiodic discharging of the menses
- okresperiodic discharging of the menses
Portuguese menstruação, regras
- menstruaçãoperiodic discharging of the menses
- regrasperiodic discharging of the menses
- chicoperiodic discharging of the menses
Romanian menstruație
- menstruațieperiodic discharging of the menses
Russian менструа́ция, менструа́льный цикл
- менструа́ция (menstruácija)periodic discharging of the menses
- менструа́льный цикл (menstruálʹnyj cikl)periodic discharging of the menses
- ме́сячные (mésjačnyje)periodic discharging of the menses
Scottish Gaelic fuil-mhìos
- fuil-mhìosperiodic discharging of the menses
Slovak menštruácia
- menštruáciaperiodic discharging of the menses
Spanish menstruación, regla
- menstruaciónperiodic discharging of the menses
- reglaperiodic discharging of the menses
- achaque (disused)periodic discharging of the menses
- periodoperiodic discharging of the menses
- chintoperiodic discharging of the menses
- menstruoperiodic discharging of the menses
- períodoperiodic discharging of the menses
- mesperiodic discharging of the menses
- [en sus] díasperiodic discharging of the menses
Swahili hedhi
- hedhiperiodic discharging of the menses
Swedish menstruation
- menstruationperiodic discharging of the menses
Tagalog kanya, sapanahon
- kanyaperiodic discharging of the menses
- sapanahonperiodic discharging of the menses
- reglaperiodic discharging of the menses
- buwanang dalawperiodic discharging of the menses
Thai ประจำเดือน, เมนส์
- ประจำเดือน (bprà-jam-dʉʉan)periodic discharging of the menses
- เมนส์ (men)periodic discharging of the menses
- ระดู (rá-duu)periodic discharging of the menses
Turkish âdet, aybaşı
- âdetperiodic discharging of the menses
- aybaşıperiodic discharging of the menses
- hayızperiodic discharging of the menses
- reglperiodic discharging of the menses
Ukrainian мі́сячні, менструа́ція
- мі́сячні (mísjačni)periodic discharging of the menses
- менструа́ція (menstruácija)periodic discharging of the menses
Urdu حیض
- حیض (hayz)periodic discharging of the menses
Vietnamese chu kỳ kinh nguyệt, kinh nguyệt
- chu kỳ kinh nguyệtperiodic discharging of the menses
- kinh nguyệtperiodic discharging of the menses
Yiddish מענסטרואַציע, ווסתּ
- מענסטרואַציע (menstruatsye)periodic discharging of the menses
- ווסתּperiodic discharging of the menses
- ווסת (veyses)periodic discharging of the menses
- צײַט (tsayt)periodic discharging of the menses
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with menstruation
informationeducationlocationapplicationassociationadministrationorganizationcorporationregistrationAsianfoundationcommunicationpopulationnavigationstationaccommodationoperationpublicationvacationtransportationevaluationimplementationinstallationnation
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
menstruation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/menstruation
MLA
“menstruation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/menstruation. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “menstruation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/menstruation.
Source: menstruation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.