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menstruate

American

[men-stroo-eyt, -streyt] / ˈmɛn struˌeɪt, -streɪt /

verb (used without object)

to undergo menstruation.

menstruate British

/ ˈmɛnstrʊˌeɪt /

verb

(intr) to undergo menstruation

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

unmenstruating

adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of menstruate

1640–50; v. use of earlier menstruate menstruous, Middle English < Late Latin mēnstruātus, equivalent to mēnstru ( a ) monthly courses ( see menstrual) + -ātus -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Experts say period blood tests are not an immediate alternative to current cervical screening because only women who menstruate could use them.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

This invasive placenta is, in fact, part of the reason humans menstruate.

From Slate • Sep. 7, 2024

If you menstruate, a plant-based diet might make your periods less painful.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2024

All people who menstruate who live long enough go through menopause.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 25, 2023

It may be noted that most observers find that very early pregnancies occur in women who begin to menstruate at an unusually early age, that is, some years before the early pregnancy occurs.

From Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 6 Sex in Relation to Society by Ellis, Havelock

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023