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menarche

American  
[muh-nahr-kee, me-] / məˈnɑr ki, mɛ- /

noun

Physiology.
  1. the first menstrual period; the establishment of menstruation.


menarche British  
/ mɛˈnɑːkɪ /

noun

  1. the first occurrence of menstruation in a woman's life

"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

menarche Scientific  
/ mə-närkē /
  1. The first menstrual period.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of menarche

1895–1900; men- + archḗ beginning

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.

See Examples For:

Across the two groups, the percentage of participants who reached menstrual cycle regularity within two years of menarche decreased from 76% to 56%.

From Science Daily May 29, 2024

Walker explained that during adolescent development, the beginning of menarche signals the start of a growth spurt that can take up to four years to complete.

From Salon Nov. 14, 2022

Women with uterine cancer tended to be older with an earlier age of menarche, or onset of menstruation, a higher body mass index and lower physical activity.

From New York Times Oct. 17, 2022

As part of Caldwell’s research, she catalogues menstrual product advertisements, which appear in the book to illustrate their propensity for puritanical shaming, and interviews family members and friends willing to share stories of their menarche.

From Washington Post Apr. 20, 2022

I scheduled my periods right through December, by which time I was certain my real menarche would have finally arrived.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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